LUTZ, Fla. — Since last hurricane season, we have told you stories from survivors across Tampa Bay about the lessons learned when it comes to having your insurance documents ordered and coverage in place, in case you have to make a claim.
WATCH: Getting your insurance documents ready ahead of hurricane season
TOUGH LESSONS LEARNED
From not having flood insurance.
"I would say read every word in the policy and definitely flood insurance," said Allison Cavallaro.
To not knowing you had a deductible that was simply too high.
"I hope and pray I can get some insurance but unfortunately, my deductible is outrageous."
ABC Action News is helping you be even more prepared this hurricane season.
INSURANCE PREP FROM AN EXPERT
We spoke with Jake Holehouse with HH Insurance Group offering the following tips to make sure you are insurance ready.
"It starts with a plan," Holehouse said. "From an insurance perspective it would be have your policy documents ready and also take video of your house."
- Know your policy: Do you have enough coverage per square foot to rebuild your house adequately? Do you need to lower your deductible? In Florida, there are two deductibles. The hurricane deductible is typically much higher. 2%, 5% or even 10% of the value of your home. Paying thousands up front could catch you off guard if you need to make a claim.
- Have copies of your insurance policies: Holehouse recommends keeping physical copies in a place that is secure from water and emailing copies to yourself for easy access in case of a storm.
- Take pictures and videos of your home: Holehouse recommends going and walking through your house and taking a video. When you need to make a claim, your insurance adjuster will hand you a spreadsheet to list your valuables. Pictures and videos can help you remember what you'll need to list. Pictures and videos can also help serve as proof in case your claim is questioned.
- Look at your flood zone and evacuation zone: If you are in a flood zone, make sure you have flood coverage, and if you are not in a flood zone, now is a good time to get coverage. Many residents learned after Hurricanes Debby and Helene that their homes could flood even if they aren't in a flood zone. Also important to note is that if there is a failure in city or county infrastructure that causes your home to flood, the homeowner will still be on the hook.
- Understanding 'Loss of Use' coverage: Holehouse said the 'Loss of Use' clause in insurance policies was very misunderstood last year. 'Loss of Use' is coverage to pay for you to go live elsewhere in the event of a covered loss. Holehouse said flood insurance does not have 'Loss of Use' and it's only applicable if your home is unlivable, not simply uncomfortable.
"I think one of the biggest lessons last year was flood insurance," Holehouse said. "The need of flood insurance whether you are in a mandatory purchase flood zone or not."
DOCUMENTING TO NEW HEIGHTS
For one Lutz man and local law enforcement officer Matt Brugger, he's helping take insurance preparedness to new heights this hurricane season. He's started a side business offering drone recordings for the exterior of homeowner's homes, for the purposes of insurance documentation.
"They document everything inside their house for insurance purposes but people forget to document their roof," Brugger said holding his drone remote control. "That's how this idea came about, to take documentation of peoples houses, the process can go smoother."
He saw the need firsthand as he was deployed to help tarp roofs in Northport after Hurricane Ian.
"The big thing that I saw was there was a lot of roof damage, and then the insurance companies saying 'This is pre-existing damage', when it really wasn't," Brugger added.
So he thought, why not offer a way for homeowners to show proof.
"That's the thing about it," Brugger added. "Natural wear and tear is going to happen, that doesn't give them the right to deny you."
Though he hopes to build his drone imaging business through commercial properties, he is offering this service to homeowners as well, which Diane Jackson took advantage of.
"It's going to be a relief. It really will, because you don't really understand how expensive roofs are if you have to pay for them, you don't understand how expensive the cages are if stuff like that happens. And now this way you can sleep easily. I'm not gonna be worried about that," Jackson said.
Holehouse thinks it's a great idea.
"Having that documentation to be able to give to the adjuster, really does help that claim process just move faster, and or it helps you make a repair that you didn't know about going into hurricane season," Holehouse added.
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