A question about insurance

[frederic79]

I live about 2.5 miles from the Gulf in Pascagoula. Katrina put 14 inches of water in my house and car. My car should be covered under comprehensive with my auto policy, no problem. However, I had no flood insurance (I'm not in a flood zone). I had plenty of coverage on my home contents ($70K) IF a hurricane, not flood, damaged them. But my home flooded and there was not hole in the roof or broken windows since I boarded them. Has anyone been down this road before? How much does FEMA help and is there a chance my Nationwide policy may help significantly with my contents loss (around $45K). My home has NEVER flooded before. Thanks for your comments.

[beachbum_al]

I wish I could give you info on this but I think flood insurance is separate. I know here in Fairhope we have hurricane insurance but not flood insurance. I would call Nationwide and ask. Also if you go to the Fema website they have a lot of info on there. Sorry to hear about your house. But glad to hear that you are okay.

I am trying to search to find you info. I found this article
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/krwashbureau/20050903/ts_krwashbureau/_wea_katrina_insurance_1

[Deb321]

Here in Florida we have to have separate flood insurance to recover any losses caused by hurricane storm surge. I would suggest you call your insurance and see what their policy on that is. Car is covered under comprehensive coverage. A piece of debris went flying through my husbands truck last year.UGH. I would suggest you get a claim in with FEMA as soon as possible I know they are stretched thin but don't worry. A lady here lost her home during Jeanne and had no insurance and thought she would never come through it. FEMA did help her and she is in another home now. My husband is diabetic and they reimbursed us for a generator and for the gas we used. I think the quicker you get your claim in the better you will feel. Good luck to you !

[Recurve]

I suggest you call the National Flood Insurance program so you have their version -- I've paid for flood insurance for 18 years and never been sure if waves driven by wind count as flooding under federal flood insurance or not.

[shorrock]

I suggest you call the National Flood Insurance program so you have their version -- I've paid for flood insurance for 18 years and never been sure if waves driven by wind count as flooding under federal flood insurance or not.

for damage my family had, if it comes from the roof or windows, then insurance covers it, if it rises from the ground, flood covers it. Man those were some heated debates about what was flood and what was rain damage from the roof being damaged.

good luck, and I hope everything works out.

[Windy]

I live about 2.5 miles from the Gulf in Pascagoula. Katrina put 14 inches of water in my house and car. My car should be covered under comprehensive with my auto policy, no problem. However, I had no flood insurance (I'm not in a flood zone). I had plenty of coverage on my home contents ($70K) IF a hurricane, not flood, damaged them. But my home flooded and there was not hole in the roof or broken windows since I boarded them. Has anyone been down this road before? How much does FEMA help and is there a chance my Nationwide policy may help significantly with my contents loss (around $45K). My home has NEVER flooded before. Thanks for your comments.

Second that you should call Nationwide, but likely they'll tell you you're SOL on the house. Hurricane is hurricane, flood is flood, etc. Insurance companies are not going to give people any gimmies this time around. Some of them will be lucky not to go bankrupt as it is.

I'd give FEMA a call, too. I wish you luck. This is such an incredibly trying time for so many people, it's heartbreaking.

[themusk]

Believe me this is not intended as an "I told you so". I am extremely aware that all of us, myself included, are limited, fallible beings who operate ignorantly, unconsciously or irrationally more often than we do rationally. Judging someone against a measure of perfection is cruel, and says far far more about the lack of character of those who judge than of any "failure" on the part of those they judge. Frederic79 made the best choice he could with the best information he had at the time, and none of us frail mortals can ever do better than that.

But for anyone who is reading this, anywhere in the country -- you now have more information than frederic79 had, and don't need to relive his experience. Very nearly everywhere has the potential to flood. Thats everywhere, including the plot of ground you're occupying as you are reading this. Some areas are more likely to flood than others, and we single those places out and call them "flood plains", but a large percentage of floods every year occur outside of those flood plains.

Learn from frederic79's unfortunate experience. Unless you live on the very summit of a tall mountain or high in an urban penthouse, you almost certainly should have flood insurance.

[melhow]

Something else that I'm thinking. I know that Nationwide does have an optional coverage that you can add onto your policy covering drain/sewage line backups. Is it possible that our flooding was not due necessarily to rising rainwater alone, but also in part to a retention drain back-up? If so, you might be in luck coverage-wise if you had this as a rider on your policy.

[obxicane]

According to NFIP, approx. 25% of all flood claims happen in the 500 year flood zone. So even if your mortgage company does not require flood, floods can happen almost anywhere.

Also, flood insurance can be purchased in those zones for just a couple hundred dollars. Not much to spend for peace of mind IMO.

I would also contact FEMA as soon as possible to get any aid you can. You may also be able to take out a low interest loan for repairs.

[dwg71]

BUY FLOOD INSURANCE, most anybody can get it, and everybody should. If you live in Texas and want to buy it. PM, I'll bind it right over the phone.

If you do not have flood insurance and your house is damaged by rising water, you are SOL. You can apply for low or no interest loans, through FEMA.

[NPR]

I just sent in my check for flood insurance. $233 a year. I think it is well worth it.

[RU4REAL]

Yes, I have been down that road before, your homeowners will not pay for flooding but your auto will pay for your cars, if you have/had any furniture that was financed with a local compy chances are they are covered, (chech that)....don't do anything right now with your home, if you do, keep ALL reciepts....Fema WILL help you, they will also give you one year's worth of flood insurance then you will be responsable for insurance later. It is very possiable that your home may be condemmed, and the state will buy you out ...it is possiable that you will be offered a very low interest rate less than 5 percent to purchase a new home...Good luck to you!!

[seaswing]

Unfortunately, here in Florida, just about everyone in the state has to purchase hurricane insurance separate which covers floods. Didn't used to be this way until last year (4 storms). I was also not in a flood plane, I am now.... your insurance may actually cover your damages because you were not categorized as living in the flood plane. That will probably change though and you will be required to purchase separate hurricane coverage in order to collect from a loss. You may also find as we have here that most companies will pull out of your state because of the loss they have incurred. I have been canceled twice by insurance companies no longer writing policies in Florida.

[Deenac813]

Unfortunately, here in Florida, just about everyone in the state has to purchase hurricane insurance separate which covers floods. Didn't used to be this way until last year (4 storms). I was also not in a flood plane, I am now.... your insurance may actually cover your damages because you were not categorized as living in the flood plane. That will probably change though and you will be required to purchase separate hurricane coverage in order to collect from a loss. You may also find as we have here that most companies will pull out of your state because of the loss they have incurred. I have been canceled twice by insurance companies no longer writing policies in Florida.

I am sorry but I have to make a comment here. NO windstorm/hurricane/or homeowners policy covers Flood. No other policy but a flood policy will cover flooding. Every home is in a flood zone. You should always purchase flood insurance.

[melhow]

Unfortunately, here in Florida, just about everyone in the state has to purchase hurricane insurance separate which covers floods. Didn't used to be this way until last year (4 storms). I was also not in a flood plane, I am now.... your insurance may actually cover your damages because you were not categorized as living in the flood plane. That will probably change though and you will be required to purchase separate hurricane coverage in order to collect from a loss. You may also find as we have here that most companies will pull out of your state because of the loss they have incurred. I have been canceled twice by insurance companies no longer writing policies in Florida.

I am confused. What is separate hurricane insurance? My homeowners (through Citizens) has a hurricane deductible, and covers most hurricane perils (wind, damage, exclusive of flood, of course) but I have no additional hurricane insurance. I do carry flood insurance, and also have loss of use insurance premimum, tax payment and mortgage payment protection insurance additionally, but no "hurricane insurance" per say. Isn't hurricane insurance covered in your homeowners policy?

[Deenac813]

Unfortunately, here in Florida, just about everyone in the state has to purchase hurricane insurance separate which covers floods. Didn't used to be this way until last year (4 storms). I was also not in a flood plane, I am now.... your insurance may actually cover your damages because you were not categorized as living in the flood plane. That will probably change though and you will be required to purchase separate hurricane coverage in order to collect from a loss. You may also find as we have here that most companies will pull out of your state because of the loss they have incurred. I have been canceled twice by insurance companies no longer writing policies in Florida.

I am confused. What is separate hurricane insurance? My homeowners (through Citizens) has a hurricane deductible, and covers most hurricane perils (wind, damage, exclusive of flood, of course) but I have no additional hurricane insurance. I do carry flood insurance, and also have loss of use insurance premimum, tax payment and mortgage payment protection insurance additionally, but no "hurricane insurance" per say. Isn't hurricane insurance covered in your homeowners policy?

It depends on where you live. Some homeowners policies exclude windstorm and a seperate windstorm policy has to be written. However, neither of these policies cover flood.

[SouthFloridawx]

Here in Florida we have to have separate flood insurance to recover any losses caused by hurricane storm surge. I would suggest you call your insurance and see what their policy on that is. Car is covered under comprehensive coverage. A piece of debris went flying through my husbands truck last year.UGH. I would suggest you get a claim in with FEMA as soon as possible I know they are stretched thin but don't worry. A lady here lost her home during Jeanne and had no insurance and thought she would never come through it. FEMA did help her and she is in another home now. My husband is diabetic and they reimbursed us for a generator and for the gas we used. I think the quicker you get your claim in the better you will feel. Good luck to you !

Who's your carrier?

You may have a deductible to cover it.

[melhow]

Unfortunately, here in Florida, just about everyone in the state has to purchase hurricane insurance separate which covers floods. Didn't used to be this way until last year (4 storms). I was also not in a flood plane, I am now.... your insurance may actually cover your damages because you were not categorized as living in the flood plane. That will probably change though and you will be required to purchase separate hurricane coverage in order to collect from a loss. You may also find as we have here that most companies will pull out of your state because of the loss they have incurred. I have been canceled twice by insurance companies no longer writing policies in Florida.

I am confused. What is separate hurricane insurance? My homeowners (through Citizens) has a hurricane deductible, and covers most hurricane perils (wind, damage, exclusive of flood, of course) but I have no additional hurricane insurance. I do carry flood insurance, and also have loss of use insurance premimum, tax payment and mortgage payment protection insurance additionally, but no "hurricane insurance" per say. Isn't hurricane insurance covered in your homeowners policy?

It depends on where you live. Some homeowners policies exclude windstorm and a seperate windstorm policy has to be written. However, neither of these policies cover flood.

Is the exlusion of windstorm damage usually included in the language of the policy? Like, if I was reading my current policy over, would it say something to the effect of "damage from wind not covered in policy"?

[SouthFloridawx]

Some Carriers have a 2% deductible for windstorm you want to check your dec. page.

[melhow]

Some Carriers have a 2% deductible for windstorm you want to check your dec. page.

On the declarations page, mine reads:

HURRICANE: $2,238 (2%)

[i]INSURED NOTE :THE PORTION OF YOUR PREMIMUM FOR HURRICANE COVERAGE IS $633[/i]

So that's one in the same as wind storm, yes?