Wood-Mode After the Storm
July 8, 2015Water Damage Woes
July 22, 2015Hurricane and storm damage are a fact of life for Gulf Coast homeowners; if you live here long enough, you’ll find yourself weathering a major storm or two. Another fact of life for Gulf Coast homeowners is storm preparedness—an ounce of prevention is worth a pound (or maybe a gallon!) of cure when it comes to storm and flood damages.
Flood Insurance
There are many reasons why a homeowner might not pursue flood coverage; some find it’s too expensive, while others think they simply don’t need it. Still others may not even know that flood insurance exists. It’s important to know about your flood insurance options, and to be covered, particularly if you live in an area at high risk of flooding. A regular homeowners insurance policy generally does not cover damage from flooding, so while some of your water and storm damage might be covered, damages from actual flooding are excluded. Your first step in securing flood insurance is to talk with your homeowners insurance carrier, and then review the information available through the National Flood Insurance Program website.
GHBA and City of Houston Resources
Luckily for Houston homeowners the Greater Houston Builders Association and the City of Houston have provided online resources to assist you in securing flood protection. Recently on the blog we discussed tips to avoid unscrupulous contractors, inspired by GHBA CEO Toy Wood’s suggestions on Cox Radio. Other flood resources for homeowners from GHBA include:
Refer to the City of Houston’s Flooding Issues and Links page for a one-stop shop for disaster preparedness, emergency relief, and rebuild/repair resources for the greater Houston area.
And About That Contractor…
When you are interviewing contractors, make sure you ask them about their experience with storm and flood damage. A seasoned Gulf Coast contractor should be able to speak knowledgably about storm protection and cleanup. We recommend using the GHBA Contractors Guide to help you search for a GHBA member contractor in your area.
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