During National Preparedness Month, the SCC Reminds Virginians to Plan Now for Hurricanes and Other Disasters

September is National Preparedness Month, an annual call to action to prepare for disasters and other emergencies that can happen anywhere and anytime.

With almost three months to go in hurricane season, the State Corporation Commission's Bureau of Insurance urges Virginians to act now to assess their risk and protect themselves and their families physically and financially against disasters.

"Don't wait until it's too late to protect yourself and your property from a hurricane or other disaster," said Virginia Insurance Commissioner Scott A. White. "Make sure your insurance coverage is up to date so you can minimize financial damage. Review your insurance policies and know what is - and is not - covered. Talk to your insurance agent or company or contact the Bureau if you have questions."

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. Late August to early October is often the most dangerous and active time for tropical storm activity in the Atlantic Ocean. Even areas hundreds of miles from the coast can be impacted by the high winds, heavy rains and flooding that accompany hurricanes and tropical storms. Once a hurricane develops in the Atlantic, it may be difficult to find an insurance company willing to write coverage until after the storm threat passes.

Keep in mind that hurricane damage is often caused by flooding, not high winds. Standard homeowners, renters and commercial insurance policies issued in Virginia typically do not provide coverage for damage from floods, surface water or storm surge. Coverage for flood damage is available to homeowners, renters and business owners in eligible communities through the National Flood Insurance Program, but there is typically a 30-day waiting period before a new flood insurance policy takes effect.

Creating an inventory of your personal property including photos, videos and serial numbers can help you prepare for emergencies. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners' free smartphone app - NAIC Home Inventory - makes creating a home inventory easy. Keep this inventory and your insurance policies in a secure, waterproof and fireproof place and take them with you if you must evacuate. Your policy contains the policy number and insurance company's phone number if you have questions or need to file a claim.

The Bureau encourages Virginians to consider the following:

• Does your homeowners policy contain a special deductible for wind or hurricane losses? These deductibles are applied separately from any other deductible on a homeowners policy and may be written as a flat amount, such as $1,000, or applied to a loss as a percentage of the insurance coverage on the dwelling.
  
  
• Does your homeowners policy provide coverage for sewer backup? Most homeowners policies do not provide coverage for sewer backup, but policyholders may purchase additional coverage for this.
  
  
• Are vehicles covered in the event of a hurricane or windstorm? If you have other-than-collision (or comprehensive) coverage for your vehicle under your automobile policy, your vehicles generally will be covered for flood and wind damage.

If your property is damaged by a hurricane, contact your insurance agent or company as soon as possible. To protect your property from further damage, make necessary emergency repairs once the danger has subsided. Document all damage to your property and include photographs, notes and repair-related receipts.

The Bureau has specially trained staff to assist consumers with their insurance-related questions and concerns. To learn more, contact the Bureau of Insurance Property and Casualty Division toll-free at 1-877-310-6560 or in Richmond at 804-371-9185. The Bureau offers free consumer guides for homeowners and commercial property owners with information about what to do when a disaster strikes. These guides are available on its disaster readiness page on the SCC website.

For additional emergency preparedness information relating to hurricanes and other types of disasters, visit the Virginia Department of Emergency Management website.

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Contact: Katha Treanor, 804-371-9141

Source URLs:

https://www.floodsmart.gov/
https://content.naic.org/consumer/home-inventory
https://www.scc.virginia.gov/consumers/insurance/property-casualty-consumer/disaster-readiness/
https://www.vaemergency.gov/