COLUMBIA, S.C. — The clean up from Tropical Storm Debby has begun in the Midlands, and for many homeowners, that process begins with a call to their insurance company.
Residents throughout the Midlands have experienced flooding, downed trees and damage to their homes from the storm.
Neighborhoods like Forest Acres had downed trees on homes and fences.
Tina Washington is a sales producer at Giles Insurance Agency. She says the first step is to get an estimate.
“Your first step is to, if you can, you want to get an estimate and you want to make sure that estimate is more than your deductible,” said Washington. “Some people get estimates, and they may have $1,000 deductible. Well, if you got an estimate of $800, you’re not going to be paid. However, you’ve got a claim showing on file for you, which is not the best statistic for a client. We’re already suffering higher rates for people, and claims just makes that worse.”
Consumer Reports agrees, saying homeowners should avoid reporting losses less costly than their deductible.
Talk to your insurer, who may have advice about repairs. They also suggest people document their damage immediately.
Also, keep a record of every appointment and keep copies of all documents. Get as much of your interaction with the insurance company in writing in case there are questions about your claim later.
To prepare for future storms, Washington says homeowners should take precaution when it comes their neighbors' trees.
“We always suggest that our clients, if they have a neighbor’s tree that the branches are encroaching on their neighbors property, we ask them to send a certified letter the neighbor, "Hey, you got this tree that ‘m concerned with. If something happens, I'm going to need your policy information,' That way if something did happen, we could use the neighbor's policy instead of having to file a claim on your own policy.”
Washington reminds homeowners to go over their policies and know where and where not they are covered.
“You want to make sure you have what you think you have. You want to make sure you and your carrier are on the same page,” said Washington. “Nobody wants to sit and read an insurance policy or an insurance contract, so I tell my clients read the paragraphs that say what we do not cover and that will give you a better idea of what actually is covered.”