Mother Nature has been on a rampage this week. Multiple cities in Texas were hit hard this week, but Mama’s wrath didn’t stop in the Lone Star State. Southern storms caused massive property damage and personal injury in the Gulf States, too. The storm system generated multiple tornadoes that ripped through Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida last night. The Carolinas may bear the remaining brunt of this system today.
Mother Nature has been on a rampage this week. Multiple cities in Texas were hit hard this week, but Mama’s wrath didn’t stop in the Lone Star State. Southern storms caused massive property damage and personal injury in the Gulf States, too. The storm system generated multiple tornadoes that ripped through Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida last night. The Carolinas may bear the remaining brunt of this system today.
Tuesday’s storms tore up trailers located in an RV park, took roofs off of buildings and caused at least three fatalities in Mississippi and Louisiana. An RV park in Convent, Louisiana took some of the hardest hits, with two fatalities. According to Sheriff Willy Martin of St. James Parish, the search for trapped survivors continued into the early morning. He added that thirty-one victims were hospitalized and seven of those were in critical condition.
Sheriff Martin said, “We never had anything like this; we never had this many people injured in one event, and so much destruction in one event. We won’t stop searching until we’re satisfied we’ve searched every pile.”
Unfortunately, the Sheriff believes three people are still missing. However, due to the fact that no one really knows how many people were present at the RV park when the storm struck or how many were taken by private vehicle to area hospitals, it’s hard to account for everyone.
A local resident living near the RV park, Jerome Picou, said it was raining and the skies suddenly grew dark, before he heard a noise like a freight train. That’s when the tornado hit. “The wind was blowing a little bit, but then it stopped. Then all of a sudden all kinds of wind and rain started. It was so bad, I had to go inside the house or I would have been blown away with it.”
Alabama and Georgia were put on notice for the risk of flash floods in advance of the massive storm system. Residents were told to expect 1 – 2 inches of rain and the warnings remained in effect through this afternoon. Northern Georgia was also put under a high wind advisory.
Today’s forecast for the Carolinas was far grimmer, including severe thunderstorms, flash floods, damaging winds, hail and even isolated twisters. Forecasters in Raleigh advised that straight-line wind gusts could reach as high as 70mph or more.
Schools in Georgia, Florida and South Carolina cancelled classes today in preparation for the oncoming storms.
According to Ken Graham, the meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service’s southeast Louisiana office, there were at least seven tornadoes tearing through southeast Louisiana and southwest Mississippi. The staff of the NWS office in Slidell was forced to take shelter due to a nearby twister. A lightning strike knocked out the office’s main radar and the team had to rely on backup systems.
Graham said, “We felt the shockwave go through the building.”
Damage in Florida was also bad. A tornado blew through Pensacola according to meteorologist Steve Miller. Reports of injuries and property damage were coming in fast. Florida’s Governor Rick Scott, said there were over 70 homes and 24 apartments with significant property damage and three individuals with minor injuries.
Our hearts go out to those who were injured or lost their homes in these devastating storms. We also want to offer some advice.
One of the first things to do – after making sure your loved ones are safe and you have safe shelter – is to contact your insurance company to file what is known as a first party claim. In insurance parlance, you – the insured – are the first party. You pay your insurance premiums for coverage in the event that something horrible, such as these storms, happens and damages your property.
The procedure should be simple. Insurance is a contractual agreement between you and your insurer. You fulfill your contractual obligations by paying your premiums; the insurer fulfills its contractual obligations by compensating you for your damaged property. Usually.
Insurers are businesses, much the same as hospitals. This surprises many, as we tend to think that these organizations (hospitals and insurers) are in the business of helping people. Certainly, that is one of their purposes. Just like every other business, they have the “hidden” purpose of making money. Sadly, even in horribly devastating events like these recent storms, some insurers are more concerned with their profit margins than with your needs.
These companies sometimes act in “bad faith,” meaning they aren’t fulfilling their contractual obligations to you, the first party insured. This can take many forms, but some common ones are:
- They ignore or undervalue certain damages, including:
- Structural damage
- Damage to siding
- Roof damage
- Broken windows and screens
- Plumbing and electrical damage
- Wind and fire damage
- Water damage
- Total replacement damage versus cosmetic repairs
- Damage to vehicles
- Delaying or denying your compensation without a good reason
- Failing to react promptly and reply to your claim
- Not performing a proper and thorough investigation of your damages
- Trying to get you to settle for less than your damages cost
- Neglecting to tell you that there is an appeals process for denied claims
- Not explaining why they denied or underpaid your claim
- Making it unnecessarily difficult for you to provide the documentation for your claim or asking for things that aren’t necessary
- Intimidating you through harassing investigative methods
You have enough to deal with without having to face these bad faith tactics. That’s why it’s important to find a qualified attorney to help you through the process. Believe me, the insurance companies have theirs and all the legalese in the policies was written to benefit the insurers, not you.
For example, there are certain, sometimes tight, deadlines by which you must file your first party claim. As unfair as it may be, if you miss those deadlines, no matter how bad your damages, you may be left without compensation. An attorney can not only help you meet these stringent requirements, but take legal action on your behalf if your insurer acts in bad faith.
In the meantime, there are some important things you need to do, if possible, as soon as you can after experiencing property damage:
- Take pictures of all damage to your property. If possible, use the timestamp function on your digital camera to provide proof of the timeframe.
- Protect yourself and your home from further damage, whether from vandals or more foul weather, by covering broken windows.
- Cover holes in your roof with a tarp to prevent further water damage.
- Keep your receipts for things such as tarps and window coverings. Your policy should reimburse you your out-of-pocket costs.
- Be wary of hiring repair people who go door-to-door offering to help. Often, this is a scam.
- Research local licensed contractors and reputable roofers to do the necessary repairs.
- Only hire those contractors or roofers who can prove they have liability insurance. If they don’t and they are injured on your property, you may be liable.
- Never pay in full up front. Reputable businesses will take deposits.
Remember, you are not alone! There is help if you need it. You’ve paid your premiums and you deserve just compensation for your losses.
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