This month, we have the pleasure of a having a guest writer, Jason Holzem, sharing his tips on hurricane season preparation. Jason is a well known public adjuster and works at Day Adjusting and Consulting here in Naples, Florida. He provides a unique insight into hurricane season and has some valuable advice to share about how to protect your home and valuables. Without further delay, please have a look at Justin's blog for this month:
With hurricane season fast approaching it is important for people to be prepared, in the unfortunate event they are impacted by a storm. In all the years I've been doing this, the value of being prepared is not only there to protect someone's large financial asset, but to help with the stress, which can be overwhelming after a loss. My company has spoken to the news, held conferences, spoken in churches and town halls to give people information on what to do before and after a storm. As someone who worked for the insurance companies for many years and now assists people/businesses after a loss, I recommend the following:
-Have a copy of your policy and declarations page handy. It is important to know coverage lines prior to and after a loss.
-Document your property prior to a potential storm. This could be as simple as taking overview photos of every side of a house before a potential hurricane makes landfall,or having your roof inspected prior to hurricane landfall. If you recently purchased your property, your home inspection report is invaluable to establishing the pre-loss condition.
-If you intend to ride out the storm, have supplies ready (i.e. water, food, battery powered fan, fill your vehicle up with gas, have a battery that can charge your phone).
-After a loss, document what happened and record the dates and times you communicate with people. Anticipate that roofers, tree cleanup companies, and mitigation companies will be price gouging. You can negotiate these rates and be sure to keep any receipts/invoices. If you pay someone with cash, have them provide you with a receipt (even if it's a note) and take a photo and save it.
-Anticipate a delay from the insurance company. Keep records of when your claim was filed and when the property was inspected, how long the inspection lasted, what was discussed with the adjuster.
-If you incur minor damages that do not exceed your deductible or have damages that are not covered under your insurance policy, still keep record of this and provide those receipts/invoices to your accountant, as it can potentially lower your taxes owed.
If you have any questions before or after a loss or have questions regarding your policy, please feel free to call my office at (262) 510-9196 or email me at
jasondayadjusting@yahoo.com.
