June 1st ushered in the beginning of yet another hurricane season. As the storms begin brewing in the warm Atlantic waters, nervous homeowners are wondering, “Will a hurricane damage my home this time around?” Perhaps. Especially if you live in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington DC, Delaware, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, Rhode Island, or New York. These seventeen states and Washington DC are regularly pounded on by hurricanes.
Residents living in these areas suffer from devastating water damage and property losses each hurricane season. To make it even more devastating, some of this water damage is NOT covered by your homeowner’s insurance and even if it is, high insurance deductibles apply.
After a hurricane damages your home, your insurance company needs to assess the damage. Not only will your insurer confirm that your home has been damaged, if water damage is involved, your insurance company will need to determine whether or not the damage is covered. For example, if the water surged into your house due to the storm surge, that’s considered flooding. Unless you have a national flood insurance policy, the water damage will not be covered by insurance.
On the other hand, if your home’s roof was blown off and the rain came pouring in, then it’s more likely that you’ll have coverage for the resulting water damage. After all, it wasn’t a flood that caused the water, it was the wind that blew your roof off and exposed your home to torrential rains.
If you’re lucky and the water damaged is covered by your insurance policy, you’ll be responsible for paying your insurance deductible. However, in the above mentioned hurricane-prone states as well as the state of Hawaii, different insurance deductibles apply when a hurricane is involved. It’s important to understand your state’s hurricane deductible options so that you can plan accordingly. While each state has its own unique laws in this area, in general, hurricane deductibles are much higher than your standard insurance deductible.
For example, you may be required to pay a percentage of your home’s total value rather than a small fixed fee as a deductible. This difference can be dramatic and you could be looking at tens of thousands of dollars of out of pocket expenses before the insurance company pays a penny.
Hurricane deductibles are higher because of historically high hurricane losses in these states. Not only do hurricane force winds blow off roofs and smash trees into homes, extensive flooding occurs. Between the torrential rains, coastal flooding, and storm surges, water damage is inevitable when a hurricane blows through.
If you’re reading this now, before hurricane and water damage have affected your home, now’s a good time to prepare for future hurricanes. Do you fully understand your insurance policy? Have you reviewed all hurricane deductible options and selected the one that makes the most sense for your financial situation? Have you looked into a flood insurance policy? Do you have storm shutters? Do you know how to secure your garage door against high winds? Have you considered roof retrofitting? Have you installed hurricane straps? Have you looked at flood maps? Do you have an evacuation plan? Do you have a plan for returning home and dealing with the wind and water damage?
If you’re reading this now, after a hurricane has ravaged your home and you’re faced with a home full of water damage, you’ve got a soggy, heart-wrenching task ahead of you – and time is critical. Hurricanes and water damage bring with them an unwelcome after effect: mold. High humidity levels after a hurricane mean that you have to work quickly to dry out your home and prevent a mold infestation. The sooner you can get in and start draining, drying, disinfecting, and cleaning up, the better.
Unfortunately, hurricane water damage is rarely minimal and you’ll likely need professional help. Look for a water damage expert with industrial blowers and portable generators as power may be out for several days. You can’t afford to wait for the power to come back or else you may have an unpleasant black monster to deal with, too.
Hurricanes are coming. Are you ready?
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I don’t mean a storm that was a hurricane at some point. I want a hurricane that arrived in the area as a hurricane.
Both of you are wrong. I know of Hurricane Gloria which hit in 1985. I was thinking a bit more recent though.
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so, as a hurricane moves over the ocean picking up speed, it also picks up sea water. the water is then released as rain when the hurricane passes over land. Is the rain that falls salt water? if not, what happened to the salt?
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The death toll from Ike rose to 34 in nine states Monday and counting. Much like mayor Nagin told New Orleans residents after Katrina, the mayor of Galveston pleaded with residents not to return, saying the city’s resources are “stretched to the max” by Hurricane Ike’s devastation. There’s no room at the inn- nor water, nor sewage, no gasoline- NADA!
The bridge to Galveston Island is littered with yachts, kitchen tables and a large drowned dog. One couple flees to the Texas mainland on foot, their belongings stuffed into a baby stroller. Despite living in a place known for a legendary hurricane in 1900 that killed 8,000 people, residents of Galveston are stunned by what Hurricane Ike has done to their lives.
As one family reported, “The water filled up so fast, everyone tried to go to higher ground, but it seemed the higher you got, the higher the water went,” said Celestine as tears ran down her face. “It was hell. We climbed on to the table, deep freezers, anything we could get on and then we prayed.” Evidently prayer worked. They’re safe.
Electricity is still a major headache for more than a MILLION customers of Centerpoint Energy. Areas hit hard with lines down, poles severed and down, etc. will take days, and some weeks. There’s just no simple or fast solution for such a huge hit as hurricane Ike administered.
Ike’s bitter legacy is likely to linger for months. Much of the region is covered in debris, 2.5 million people in three states lack power, the water supply has been threatened and a key center of the nation’s oil and gas industry has been knocked off line. Gas prices jumped in Ike’s aftermath though the price of a barrel of oil dropped to $96- from a high of $147 a few weeks back. Fifteen Gulf Coast refineries were shut down Sunday, including ExxonMobil’s Baytown, Texas, facility, the nation’s largest refinery.
More than two days after Hurricane Ike slammed the Gulf Coast, rescuers flew for the first time Monday into areas cut off by the storm and found a scene of devastation, with whole subdivisions obliterated, and began evacuating survivors.
On Monday tensions were rising in Houston from people waiting in line for gas — only to be turned away — to those who took shelter in the city’s convention center who complained they couldn’t get information about how to get food and clean clothes. There’s just no way to make things better over night, but maybe within a week to ten days. For some who lost their homes, and a loved one, things will never be the same again.
But life must go on and for families, getting kids back in school is the big question.
HISD schools likely will not re-open for a week to 10 days because of Hurricane Ike, said Superintendent Abe Saavedra today. “The electricity will be the major problem,” he said. “Without the electricity, we can’t check the mechanical systems.” Athletic events were canceled for this weekend. Saavedra said he is unsure whether the HISD schools will resume holding atheletic events the week of Sept. 22-28.
HISD’s 290 schools mostly sustained minor damage, including leaks and minor roof damage. No estimate of damages has been made. The district’s insurance policy will require that it pay a $2.5 million deductible. Now that’s one huge deductible that we tax payers will cough up! :-(
Other ISD’s are coming back on line Wednesday, some Thursday. If you can help out or want to CLICK HERE.
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Discount Hurricane Shutters provides excellent service and quality hurricane protection. Each of our employees has installed Hurricane Shutters and Hurricane Panels in over 800+ houses.
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Clear Hurricane Panels, Steel Hurricane Panels, Accordion Hurricane Shutters,
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Our trained installers will do the job quickly and most importantly we will do the job right the first time installed.
Call Discount Hurricane Shutters Now and get a free in home Quote and just drop us e-mail. Let Discount Hurricane Shutters Protect you and your family this Hurricane season.
Discount Hurricane Shutters is highly qualified in the Hurricane Shutter industry, here are a few pictures just to show you some of the work we have done.
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“HURRICANE POLYMAR” IS A TRADEMARK COPYRIGHT OF TATSUNOKO PRODUCTION CO., LTD. ALL OTHER TRADEMARKS, COPYRIGHTS LICENSES HAVE BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED. NO INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. This is the opening sequence to “Hurricane Polymar” (1974), one in a series of ’70’s-’80’s “superhero” shows created by Tatsunoko Productions (which include “Space Knight Tekkaman”, “Neo-Human Casshern”, “Time Bokan” and its various spin-offs and most famously “Science Ninja Team Gatchaman”, better known to US audiences …
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Hurricane Jane. Directed by Rozan Schmeltz. LYRICS: Jane, I’ve made it plain, although I’m faded as a ghost: I want you here inside me. Say the word. Oh, you’ve been playing nice, but I can see it in your eyes, You’re thinking, “Christ. He’s everybody’s girl.” You can’t spend the night… Jane, I’ve seen you at the club. You were tearin’ up the rug With no regard for form. You’re such a brute! You had a ready elbow for the girls you hate or just don’t know. You head-butt me, cos you …
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