Hurricane season is here. In 2017, we saw the devastation in various countries and portions within the United States that left many homeless, numerous deaths, and a lot of losses in property. The aftermath of hurricanes can leave people weeks and even months without electricity. Just look at Puerto Rico; there are many individuals who are still without any power in their homes. In addition, look at the billions of dollars in property damage that the United States experienced. A state that was impacted severely was Florida. Being in Florida during hurricane season could be frightening because it is a state that is prone to hurricanes, resulting in excessive flooding. We are surrounded by water and by oceans that produce the majority of hurricanes, not to put into the picture the presence of El Nino. The state of Florida has a lot of cons for it when it comes to natural disasters, and throughout the decades it has been through many hurricanes, including hurricane Andrew in the year 1992.

The aftermath of any disaster cannot be determined. One may be lucky not to suffer any losses, but there are other individuals that are not as fortunate. One needs to protect themselves, family, and home prior to hurricane season. First, a homeowner needs to ensure that they have the proper coverage for their homes. Reviewing the coverage that they currently hold with a knowledgeable Miami public adjuster would ensure that the needed coverage is being offered and that within their policy, they have flood insurance. Knowing the ways to protect your home and reducing the number of damages that it endures is a key element during the claims process. We provide various tips to safeguard your home, read on.

Suggestions in Protecting Your Home: A hurricane is Near!

Have your property prepared for hurricane season. As a public adjuster with experience in dealing with various cases of property damage from hurricanes. We tend to notice the various tips that many homeowners did not follow prior to a hurricane. It is crucial that these following tips are taken into account and are used as methods to fortify ones’ home before a hurricane comes crashing through:

• Removal of damaged trees and objects lying around; Hurricanes will undoubtedly bring powerful winds. Having trees around your home that are already in a bad state or objects just lying around could cause more damage to your home. It can be blown by the wind and slammed right into your living room window, bringing in water and more debris. For this reason, before a hurricane is to come, make sure that branches and other debris are removed and placed in a secure location.
• Usage of protective tools; Ensuring that your home is secured with the proper tools is vital. Your garage, doors, roof, and windows are the primary areas of your home that need to be secured. You could place shutters on the exterior of your windows, a lock on your garage door, seals gaps in your home with calking, secure soffits, and even a protective tarp over your roof to prevent damage to your house.
• Stock up on Supplies: In case you decide to remain in your home, you must make sure that you stock up on supplies that can be used without electricity because the power will most likely go out for a few days, even weeks. Stock up on food that is not perishable outside like cans, cookies, and more. In addition, it would be wise to purchase a generator when the power does go out. But please, keep generators at least 20 feet away from any entry point of your home (windows, doors). They need to remain outside. Last year, there were people who died from carbon monoxide poisoning from generators used during hurricanes.
• Make an Inventory: Before a hurricane, you should mark down everything you have in your home and how much it is worth. Knowing what property is in your home before devastation strikes are important during the claims process. Like that, you are not trying to remember what you had inside your home and already having a list makes it much easier.
• Have your Insurance Updated: Try to fill in any gaps that are within your policy. You want to know that you have the right coverage and for the adequate amount.

Along with the above methods to provide protection for your home. Have a public adjuster ready-at-hand to assist you with the aftermath of the hurricane. Filing a claim with your insurance company for a natural disaster is the next phase that should be completed if a home or business sustained damages.  With a trained public adjuster, the proper payout amount could be recovered.

Also, do not forget about ALE coverage. Does your insurance have ALE coverage in case you must evacuate your home? ALE coverage is very important when someone must leave their homes. It covers numerous costs that would otherwise become quite expensive if one must pay for it out-of-pocket.

Definitions of Hurricanes

A hurricane can occur at any given moment throughout the year, and hurricanes have formed despite the typical time-frame of hurricane season being June 1^st to November 20^th. Hurricanes have three different classifications that determine the intensity of them and the predicted damage that they will bring. Those three categories include:

A tropical depression: A tropical depression has its winds of 38 mph or less.

A tropical storm: The winds of a tropical storm are in between 39 mph and 73 mph.

A Hurricane: The given name “hurricane” is different for different regions. Cyclones is the name given by the Indian Ocean and the South pacific, whereas, Typhoon is the name given by the North Pacific. The winds of a hurricane are more than 74 mph but less than 111mph, placing them as either category 1 or 2.

A major hurricane: Now, a major hurricane is a hurricane that has been deemed category 3, category4, or category 5. The sustained winds of a major hurricane are above 111 mph.

All of the above have their specific wind speed that makes them what they are, and all perform different amounts of damages.

Storm Statistics and Charts

These are some relevant charts, images, and statistics on hurricanes.

• In 2017, there was a total of 103 combined deaths from major hurricanes that took place, including, Irma, and Maria.
• At least three million people suffered from power outage as a result of hurricane Irma
• 88 inches was the amount of rainfall that hurricane Harvey brought in 2017
• An estimated 12 named storms make landfall every year in the United States. Out of those 12, an average of 3 of those storms will become a major hurricane (category 3 or higher)
• The most hurricane-prone state is Florida
• Prior to hurricane Irma, Florida did not experience billions of dollars in damages since hurricane Andrew in 1992
• Hurricane Katrina was responsible for 1,200 deaths

This is the typical track of hurricanes and their zones of origin for the month of August. As noted by the image above, Florida is in the more likely zone and in the way of the hurricane’s path.

Below is a chart of major hurricanes that have made landfall in Florida, the city where they made landfall, the category they were, and the year it took place:

 *Chart provided by Wikipedia*

 Here for Your Needs, Our Miami Public Adjusters in Churchill

Our Miami Public adjusters can take care of anyone who has endured the effects of a hurricane that has caused expenses, pain, and anguish. There is no need to fear when they are here. Whether you have already been through the aftermath of a hurricane or not, the above information, statistics, facts, and charts can show how powerful and destructive one of those storms should be. Being prepared and knowing the steps to take that not only is your home secured, but your family, and own life, is a key aspect before any significant storm. Our public adjuster prides themselves in not only the expert job they do at combating against insurance companies, but they also provide exceptional customer service to their clients. The suffering and pain that a homeowner can go through after a hurricane are unimaginable, but their compassion towards their clients never ceases to amaze.

References:

• https://www.stellaradjusting.com/tips-for-florida-hurricane-season/
• http://time.com/4952628/hurricane-season-harvey-irma-jose-maria/
• http://trackthetropics.com/hurricane-season-statistics/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Florida_hurricanes
• https://knoema.com/wdqlyq/us-hurricane-statistics
• https://www.kiplinger.com/article/insurance/T028-C001-S001-6-steps-to-protect-your-home-from-hurricanes.html