 Image by WikiImages from Pixabay As a newly licensed agent years ago, I learned the definition of Insurance is “shared risk.” This was never more demonstrated than when Hurricane Rita hit in 2005. I remember that time like it happened yesterday. The stress of evacuating with a husband only weeks out of the hospital from having a defibrillator installed to keep his impaired heart working. Coming home to damages to my house, loss of food and electricity, no one to fully assess our loss (remember my husband couldn’t climb a ladder or anything). Thankfully when I called our insurance company at the time, and explained our situation, they sent someone out right away and we were treated very well. Then there was the delight of returning to work and having to hop from one desk to another because the office was inundated with claims agents. They worked long hours in the office and in the field, checkbook in hand, anxious to help our valued clients get through one of the biggest and meanest hurricanes to hit the Lake Area in nearly fifty years.
 The National Hurricane Center is considering changing Hurricane Season from June 1 to May 15th. You’ve got to be kidding me – Right!?! Let’s face it, many of us haven’t fully recovered from 2020 hurricanes and now, as if we don’t have enough to fret about, the powers that be in the Weather Center want to add 2 more weeks of hurricane worry upon us. RELAX.
Regardless of when the National Hurricane Center states hurricane season starts or ends, there is no need to panic or fear. Being prepared and having a plan, however, is imperative. We may not be able to control Mother Nature, but here are some things you can do… Have an Evacuation Plan. No matter if the storm hits east or west of us, having an evacuation plan in place helps alleviates the stress of leaving. Review Your Home or Renters and Flood Insurance Policy ahead of time. Understanding your policy coverage, deductibles and limitations makes you a responsible homeowner/renter. Take pictures or a video of your home, contents, sheds or outbuildings, and yard helps you be more organized if you have to file a claim. Include pictures of closets and drawers, dishes, pots, silverware – everything! Many folks lose out on valuable reimbursement without proper documentation of what you own – especially those who have total or near-total losses. Have items in storage? Have pictures and an inventory list of those too as a percentage of your contents coverage extends to these things. It is especially important to record any existing damage on your home! If you happen to get caught with a new claim, this will help you and your insurance company from butting heads over details between claims. Keep a travel kit ready. A single suitcase or tote or briefcase with policies (including life, health and auto), Vet Records, Kid’s immunization records, Medications and/or a list of medications (include dosage!), Allergies, legal documents that may be important if you or a family member becomes ill or dies during evacuation, etc. saves you from having to think about these things when preparing to evacuate. Find more ideas on what to bring with you or have on hand if you decide not to evacuate in this post. Other important things we learned during 2020 hurricanes can be found HERE and more tips for travelling smart are listed in THIS blog post. Hopefully we’ve provided you enough information in this and other posts to help ease the stress of travelling or evacuating. Until next time, take care and remember…. Preparation is the key to success. Tommy Curtis and Staff  Well, August is half over and it’s hot, hot, hot! To say it’s been quite a year, is an understatement, yet, here we are…
Summer is drawing to an end and kids are returning to school so, please be careful of those young drivers out there! There’s still plenty of fun in the sun to be had though, so check out our safety tips. Hurricane season is nearly half over but we’re not out of the woods yet. If you haven’t reviewed your Home Insurance policy, now would be a good time to do so. Now is also a good time to get that Flood policy in place. There is a standard 30 day wait on flood insurance, so don’t put it off any longer – give us a call today!  We’re in our second month of Hurricane season and I am forever amazed at some of the phone calls we receive for home insurance. Although we have discussed understanding home insurance in detail, binding restrictions, riders and endorsements, have FAQ’s and have covered policy discounts, many people aren’t aware of the guidelines and regulations regarding a home insurance policy.
Here are a few things to consider before calling us, or anyone, for a home insurance quote….  *Image by Larisa Koshkina from Pixabay Bet the title of this post has you wondering what that old adage about the weather has to do with Insurance.
Lots! Brought on by Spring storms, March winds can mean anything from a gentle breeze to huge gusts to tornadoes. April showers sometimes mean flooding and those May flowers for June brides lend to thoughts of insuring your love.  Hurricane Season is upon us and many people are brushing up on their home/mobile home insurance policies and getting their evacuation plan in order. They’ve pulled out the declarations page and in reviewing, find there are 2 or maybe 3 different deductibles listed: AOP, Named Storm and/or Wind/Hail.
We’ll attempt to clarify these for you here….  If you call for a home, mobile home, or flood policy or to add comprehensive and/or collision insurance to your auto policy and are told no because the company is under binding restrictions, it may confuse or even irritate you.
What in the world are binding restrictions and why do insurance companies implement them?  Image by Plume Ploume from Pixabay We’ve shared with you the importance of understanding your home owner insurance policy as well as different types of deductions you may be entitled to under said policy. We’ve also given some advice on travelling smart, fire safety tips and vacation preparedness to help protect your home, especially when you’re away.
Today let’s talk about the importance of insuring a vacant home. First though, we’ll look at some instances when you may have a vacant home to insure….. |
Tommy Curtis
Is an insurance agent with integrity and your best interest in mind. Call to speak directly to him. Contact us Phone: 337-433-1683 Address: 509 7th Street Lake Charles, LA 70601 Office Hours: M-F 9a - 5p (CST) Follow Us
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