Floods are extremely dangerous and scary. They can cause severe damage to your property and can even put your life and the lives of your loved ones at risk. Because of this, it’s extremely important to properly prepare for a flood emergency. You’ll want a plan of action in place should a flood hit to protect your family, property, and pets.
Below are some of the steps you should take to make sure you are properly prepared for a flood emergency, what you should know before filing an insurance claim, and what your options are if your insurance company chooses to deny your claim in bad faith.
The Flood Prep Steps You Should Take
To ensure the health and safety of your family, avoid property damage, and get the best payout possible from your insurance company, follow these steps:
1. Determine the Overall Risk
If storms are coming and you are worried about flooding, consider risk factors that will increase the chances of a flood damaging your property and causing safety hazards. Take into consideration the elevation of your property, whether you are located near bodies of water, and whether or not you are in a low-lying location. If you are at an increased risk, prepare for the worst. Even if not, you’ll want to keep a close eye on any storms.
2. Use the Following Flood Information Resources
Once a big storm hits, you need to keep an eye on the rainfall, river levels, and forecast. The resources below will help you to track river, rainfall, and flood information:
- Rainfall and Flooding Outlooks from the Southeast River Forecast Center
- Current River Levels and Forecast
- Flood Maps | FEMA.gov
3. Create an Evacuation Plan
Trying to evacuate in a frantic state is not a good plan. Make sure you put an emergency plan in place, which should include how you will communicate with your loved ones in case of emergency, how you will quickly and efficiently pack your things, what routes will be the safest to take, where you can reside during the storm, and more. A detailed plan can save your life.
4. Learn how to Navigate a Flood Situation Safely
There are a few things you’ll need to consider when navigating a flood situation. These include:
- Avoid flooded roadways and don’t drive through them.
- Abandon your vehicle should it break down.
- Listen to the radio for updates.
- Avoid areas that are likely to flood.
5. Prepare Essentials
You need to make sure you have all of your essentials before you evacuate due to a flood or any other emergency. These essentials should include:
- Cash
- Battery-powered radios and flashlights
- Non-perishable food and water bottles
- Diapers
- Important documents
- Pet food
- Clothing
- Medication
- Baby formula or food
After the Flood
After the flood, it’s important to be very cautious re-entering your home. There may be structural damage and, if water is still present, electricity can be extremely dangerous. Make sure your home is fully inspected by a professional electrician before using any electronics.
It’s important to file your insurance claim on time and be thorough. Document any damage with photos and videos and make a list of damages. Also, make sure you keep records of your communications with your insurance provider.
My Insurance Provider Doesn’t Want to Pay! What Do I Do?
If you documented the damage caused by the flood properly and filed your claim on time, your insurance company should pay your settlement without a problem. With that said, your insurance provider may try and get out of a legitimate payment. If your claim is denied in bad faith, contact Colucci Law Group to get the money you are owed.
Colucci Law Group consists of legal experts that provide clients with support to combat bad faith claim denials. We will provide you with an experienced, expert insurance lawyer to represent you in a suit against your insurance provider. We are also able to file your claim for you and defend your rights, so you get the settlement that you deserve.
For more information about our property insurance legal services, reach out today. We’d be happy to help you to file your claim or represent you in a lawsuit against your insurance provider.
If you suspect that you are the victim of a bad faith insurance claim denial, we can help. The Colucci Law Group has the resources to assess the validity of your claim at no cost to you. For a free consultation, email us or call our Dunedin office at 727-733-9438. You may also call our Fort Myers office at 239-378-7800. Our team assists victims of bad-faith insurance claims across the state of Florida.