If you have suffered home, business, or property damage as a result of Hurricane Florence, you may be concerned about receiving the proper amount of compensation from your insurance agency.

Experienced hurricane insurance claims attorneys may be able to help guide you through this confusing process.

Background on Hurricane Florence and Tropical Storms

Hurricane Florence
was a powerful and catastrophic storm that caused immense damage to North and South Carolina and Virginia in September 2018. Florence grew from a strong tropical wave originating from the west coast of Africa into a category 4 hurricane.

The storm caused heavy flooding, as well as power outages, uprooted trees, multiple tornadoes, and extreme damage to homes and buildings. The flooding trapped hundreds of people in their homes or vehicles, awaiting rescue. The hurricane is blamed for the deaths of 57 people.

In January 2019, approximately 200 people attended the Hurricane Florence Survivors’ Summit at the Coastline Convention Center in Wilmington, N.C. to discuss ways to recover from the storm. The summit was hosted by the Just Florence Recover Coalition, a group focused on centering marginalized, disadvantaged and underprivileged voices.

According to the their website, the Just Florence Recovery Coalition states that top-down charitable giving often does not reach the most disadvantaged victims, and that under-resourced areas and groups are frequently left behind or forgotten in the wake of devastating natural disasters.

One woman who attended the summit and whose home had been destroyed in the storm spoke about the difficulties and confusion she faced when trying to navigate the recovery process.

“It’s just like a clique, only certain people know about certain information,” she told Star News Online. “It takes a college degree and then some — probably a doctorate degree — to navigate through the recovery process.”

Much of the damage caused by a hurricane is typically covered by homeowners insurance or business owners insurance. Hurricane insurance claims can seek coverage for many types of damage, including:

• Dwelling coverage, which pays to repair or rebuild damage done to the physical structure of the home.
• Coverage of other structures, including garages, sheds, and fences.
• Personal property coverage, which covers damage to personal belongings including clothing, furniture, and electronics.
• Alternate living expenses coverage, which pays for temporary housing due to damage to your home.
• Business interruption losses coverage, which pays for loss of income during a disaster.

Unless you have separately purchased flood insurance, flooding from hurricanes would not be covered by your insurance policy.

Filing a hurricane insurance claim can be complicated. You may need photographs or video showing the extent of damage to your property, as well as a list of missing or destroyed items and their value. It may also be helpful to keep a record of all hurricane-related expenses and save the receipts.

Even if you have already received compensation from your insurance agency for some of your damages, it is important to make sure you have received all of the payment you are entitled to. Experienced insurance claims attorneys may be able to help you receive all of your compensation.