TAMPA, Fla. — In St. Pete’s Shore Acres neighborhood, not a single home in the low-lying coastal community was spared by Hurricane Helene.
In fact, the surge damage was so bad in the neighborhood, most residents are now dealing with unprecedented flood damage. Craig Williams is among them.
“My whole house has to be gutted,” he told us Monday.
Williams grew up in the neighborhood in the 1960s and never left. Helene was the first storm to flood his home. He estimates that Helene left upwards of 18 inches of water on the inside. Fortunately, Craig has flood insurance.
However, most Florida homeowners do not since flood insurance is a separate policy from homeowners insurance.
“The last statistic I saw was about 25% of homeowners purchase flood insurance. So not a lot of people, unfortunately, buy flood insurance,” explained Karyn Roeling of Seibert Insurance in Tampa.
Roeling is already fielding calls after Helene.
“We haven't taken any homeowners claims yet, but we've probably taken 500 flood claims. Lots of flooding, flooded out cars, water in the house and garage. Damage like that,” she said.
Reling said since flood insurance is backed by the federal government, claims often process quicker and smoother than home insurance claims.
“Typically, these adjusters get in quick. They can come from anywhere in the country because it’s the same policy whether we're in Florida or California,” Roeling said. “You have a much more educated pool of adjusters to pull from to come in and start adjusting claim.”
To help put your claim on the fast track, experts advise to:
- Mitigate the damage the best you can.
- Call your agent or carrier as soon as possible.
- Save all of your receipts.
- Take lots of pictures and video
- The more details you can provide to your claims adjuster, the easier it will be for them to process your claim.
Even with flood insurance, there are limitations, including what you can get reimbursed for and how much. Experts also advise being on alert for scammers who may offer a quick fix for cash up front.
For homeowners with flood damage but without flood insurance, FEMA may be an option.
On Sunday, President Joe Biden approved federal disaster assistance for Florida counties hardest hit by Helene, including Pinellas County, where Shore Acres is located and where homeowners like Craig Williams are just getting started on rebuilding a life that took him years to create and one night for Helene to shatter.
“It’s devastating, just devastating,” he said.
