After Hurricanes Harvey, Irma: Tips for Filing an Insurance Claim

(Photo: Eric Gay, AP)

"Similar take-up rates are found in neighboring counties, though the rate drops off the further inland from the immediate coastline," the report said. "Based on these statistics, it is expected that a large portion of the overall economic damage caused by flooding will not be covered by insurance."

Here are some tips for residents affected by the storms:

*Contact your insurance company as soon as possible to report the claim. Insurers typically visit the most severely damaged areas first, so be prepared to provide an accurate description of any damages, says the Insurance Information Institute (III). Make sure to get a claim number and write it down since it’s the quickest and easiest way for insurance companies to locate your file, according to the Consumer Federation of America (CFA).


Ask the company when you can expect to be contacted by an insurance adjuster. It could be anywhere from a week to five to six months, depending on the extent of the claim, according to HouseLogic, a website operated by the National Association of Realtors.

A new law in Texas, which lowers interest payments paid by insurance companies, goes into effect Friday and homeowners may want to consider it before deciding when to file claims. 

Currently, insurance companies in Texas that have been deemed by a court to be in delay of paying claims must pay the claim with 18% interest. The new law cuts the interest bill to about 10%. "The new law strips people of their rights," Geoff Henley, an attorney at Henley & Henley told the Dallas Morning News. "So immediate action is necessary."

*Document your losses with pictures and video, if possible, and include a list of damaged personal items, says John Salter, certified financial planner at Evensky & Katz in Lubbock, Texas. Include the date of purchase and approximate value of any damaged items and collect receipts, III says.

*Keep good records of anything you spend to make immediate repairs to secure your home, as well as receipts for hotels and meals if you can’t return home right away, CFA says.

*Check with your insurance company before discarding damaged items. You typically need to show them to your adjuster, according to III. but if your municipality requires you to discard them for safety reasons, take photographs to help with claims.

*Keep a claim diary. Start a notebook with contact information of the people you deal with from your insurance company. Make a list of everyone you speak to and note the date, time and issues discussed, CFA says.

*Sign up for text alerts. Many insurance companies use SMS/text alerts to notify you of the status of your claim, III says. You’ll get messages when you first report your claim, when your estimate is available and when a payment has been sent.

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