Insurance and documents
The households that recover fastest are the ones that can prove what they had and know what their policy covers. Most of this takes an afternoon in the spring.
The one thingFind out today whether you have flood insurance. Homeowners and renters policies almost never cover flooding, and a new flood policy usually takes 30 days to start.
Know your policy
- Find your declarations page. Write down your policy numbers and your insurer's claims phone number.
- Know your hurricane deductible. In Florida it is often a percentage of the home's insured value, not a flat amount.
- Check whether you have flood insurance. If not, ask your agent or see FloodSmart, the National Flood Insurance Program.
- Renters: a renters policy covers your belongings; the landlord's policy does not.
- Ask whether your policy pays for temporary housing (often called additional living expenses) if your home cannot be lived in.
Record what you own
- Walk through every room with your phone recording video. Open closets and drawers. Say what things are and roughly when you bought them.
- Photograph the outside of the house, the roof, the fence, and the yard.
- Photograph serial numbers on electronics and appliances.
- Store the photos and videos somewhere outside the house: a cloud account, or a copy with a relative in another state.
Keep documents where you can grab them
- IDs, Social Security cards, birth certificates, passports.
- Insurance policies, deed or lease, mortgage information, vehicle titles.
- Prescriptions, a list of medications and doses, and doctors' phone numbers.
- Bank and credit card numbers, and phone numbers for each.
- Put paper copies in a waterproof bag you can take in an evacuation, and scan them to the same safe place as your photos.
Filing a claim
- Photograph and video the damage before you clean up or throw anything away.
- Call your insurer as soon as you can and write down the claim number, the date, and who you spoke to.
- Make temporary repairs to stop more damage (a tarp on the roof, water out of the house) and keep the receipts.
- Keep a log of every call, email, and visit, and every expense from living somewhere else.
- If you disagree with what the insurer offers, you can ask for a review. The Florida Department of Financial Services' Insurance Consumer Helpline, 1-877-693-5236, answers questions for free.
- Register with FEMA at DisasterAssistance.gov or 1-800-621-3362 when a federal declaration covers your county, even if you have insurance. FEMA does not charge for help.
Legal help is freeIf a claim or a FEMA decision goes against you, legal aid organizations help with appeals at no cost. Call 211, or find a legal aid member serving your county on the members page.
For official instructions, follow your county emergency management office and the Florida Division of Emergency Management. This guide is general guidance from Florida VOAD's member organizations and does not replace local orders.