By Victoria Ostrosky
“Hurricane Michael made landfall as an unprecedented high-end Category 4 Hurricane for the Florida Panhandle region with maximum sustained wind speed of 155 mph and a minimum pressure 919 mb. The storm caused catastrophic damage from wind and storm surge, particularly in the Panama City Beach to Mexico Beach areas. The widespread catastrophic damage spread well inland as Hurricane Michael remained at hurricane strength into southwest Georgia.” (https://www.weather.gov/tae/20181010_Michael)
They didn’t tell us to evacuate.That’s what kept going around and around in Roger’s head. They didn’t tell us to evacuate. His wife Susan sobbed softly into his chest. The screaming wind shook their house as they huddled under the stairwell and prayed. Suddenly, over the howling of the wind there was a deafening crack, then the dark, angry sky became visible above their heads, bringing soaking rain quickly drenching everything in sight.
When Hurricane Michael’s wind and rain finally stilled, Roger and Susan carefully dug their way out of their now destroyed home, scratching their legs and arms on sharp edges of what used to be their roof trusses. Outside looked like a war zone. The trees were down, lying all over the ground like huge pick-up sticks. Their favorite tree had sliced right through the living room impaling the piano. Their cars were crushed, buried underneath a canopy of leaves. The blown out windows still framed Susan’s prized and now shredded curtains.
Panama City, Lynn Haven, Springfield, Parker, Callaway, Fountain, Mexico Beach, among other towns and cities are now unrecognizable, with Panama City Beach spared the worst of the damage when Michael turned slightly east right before landfall. Getting power restored and water and lift stations working again has been a massive undertaking, with hundreds and hundreds of bucket trucks arriving to render aid. The new normal are roads filled with flashing lights and sirens, downed power lines, and piles of debris everywhere you look.
“About 60 percent of the insurance claims filed in the two weeks after Hurricane Michael were from hard-hit Bay County, according to data posted online by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. As of Wednesday afternoon, 101,145 insurance claims had been filed from the Oct. 10 storm, with 61,054 claims in Bay County. The overall estimated insured losses as of Wednesday totaled $1.344 billion, according to the Office of Insurance Regulation website.” (Panama City News Herald, October 26, 2018)
What do you do once the storm has passed?
When you have phone service available, call and file a claim. You’ll want to do what you can to prevent further damage such as tarping your roof, covering windows, and hauling rain-soaked furniture outside to help prevent mold growth inside the house. If you have extensive water damage from storm surge or other flooding, cut a foot above the water mark on your drywall.
Document everything with photos and video. Start an inventory list to give to your adjuster who will schedule an appointment to come out and inspect your property. Make sure to get their phone number and your claim number. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
If your house is unlivable and you need to temporarily relocate, save all your receipts for lodging, gas, food, and other incidentals to give to your adjuster for reimbursement.
You don’t have to wait for the adjuster to inspect before you can get something repaired; however, only hire licensed contractors, make sure they pull proper permits, and never sign an Assignment of Benefits (AOB). This particular agreement takes away your rights and allows the contractor to put a lien on your property if your insurance company refuses to pay the exorbitant amount they’ll bill them for.
Lastly, try to be patient – in a catastrophe of this magnitude, it will take many months to repair, rebuild, and resume normal life again.
In the meantime, take advantage of anything FEMA may offer in additional assistance. Talk to your insurance agent with any concerns or questions you have. They want you to be made whole again, too.
Article by Victoria Ostrosky, Agent/CSR at Insurance Zone, a full service commercial and personal lines independent agency with offices on 30A and 98. For further info call 850.424.6979
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