Repairing Your Flooded Home PDF - American Red Cross

7S T E PCheck on Financial Assistanceobtain than government disasterloans, their interest rates are usuallyhigher.Be careful about out-of-townersoffering “special deals,” especiallyrepair contractors. Sometimes thelocal builders’ association will offeradvice on reconstruction or adviceon choosing contractors. (SeeStep 8 on dealing with repair contractors.)Flood Insurance ClaimsYou may have as many as threeseparate insurance policies: homeowner’s,flood, and wind and hail.This section covers the proceduresfor handling a flood insuranceclaim. Claims for non-flood damagewill be handled in a similarmanner.You should call your floodinsurance agent to report yourdamage as soon as possible afterthe flood. Your agent will arrangefor an adjuster to visit your homeso that your claim can be settled.Be sure you leave phone numberswhere you can be reached.If you are unable to contact thelocal agent, call the NationalFlood Insurance Program at 1-800-638-6620.Under ideal conditions, theadjuster should contact you to setup an appointment to visit yourhome within a few days after youcall your agent. But if flood damageis widespread in your area, itmay take longer for the adjuster tovisit, and it make take time foryour claim to be settled. If floodingis extensive, the adjusters willschedule their visits to review themost severe damage first. Theadjuster cannot estimate yourdamage until floodwaters are awayfrom the building.In the meantime, protect yourhome and its contents from additionaldamage, but do not makerepairs that make it impossible forthe adjuster to see the damage.Step 2, “Give Your Home FirstAid,” discusses how to protectyour home from further damage.While you are waiting for theadjuster, the following suggestionswill help you organize the informationthat you will need:❑✔Take photos or videotape thedamage to both the inside andoutside of the building and thecontents.❑ Separate your damaged andundamaged belongings andstore them for the adjuster toexamine.❑ Find receipts, canceledchecks, or proofs of purchasefor high cost items such asmajor appliances, if possible.The adjuster will need the manufacturer’sname; serial andmodel numbers; price; locationand date of purchase; and adescription of the items.The claims adjuster’s job is tocollect information that is sent toa central office for processing.The insured (you) must file aProof of Loss form within 60 daysof the flooding. In most cases, theadjuster will file this form for you.The form states the amount ofyour loss and is signed by both theinsured and the adjuster. Animportant point to remember isthat you will not be reimbursed forexpenses not authorized by theadjuster.You can ask the adjuster for anadvance or partial payment foryour building or contents loss,Some Points onSettling Claims• You are supposed to be reimbursedfairly for your loss, butyou are not supposed to profitfrom a disaster.• You cannot collect more than theface value of your policy.• You cannot collect for uninsureditems, such as landscaping.• Most adjusters receive a flat salaryor compensation on a per casebasis. There are no financialincentives that encourage theadjuster to give you a small claimpayment.• You should get the adjuster’sname, company, and phone number.He or she will probably befrom out of town.• In most cases, you will be reimbursedfor the actual cash value ofan item. That is the cost ofreplacing the item minus depreciation.If your policy is for 80percent or more of he replacementcost of your house, you willbe reimbursed for the replacementvalue of damage to yourhouse (no depreciation).• If you have problems with a floodinsurance claim, your policyshould list an office or telephonenumber that you can contact oryou can call your insurance agent.34