More Rain, water damage and flooded basements

We had a break on Wednesday, but the rain is really coming down today.  We have been getting many calls about water damage and basements being flooded.  The questions always come out as to what to do, so here are some helpful hints as to what is covered and what is not:

Water Damage:  Most home policies will cover from water damage, except from a flood.  So if you have water in the basement that is seeping in, this is normally excluded.  If you have a roof leak, you need to determine where the leak is coming from.

We had some pretty powerful winds last night, so you might be missing shingles.  If that is the case, then the shingles and water damage should be covered.  If there is evidence that there has been a leak for a long period of time, then it wouldn't be covered. 

Home insurance covers an event.  This is know as "Sudden and Accidental" damage.  If you have mold or rot, then the damage has been there over a long period of time, which is caused by maintenance.  So if your roof is old and leaky, the new water damage should be covered, but not the roof. 

Basement Flooding: The amount of rain we are having is causing the ground to be so saturated, that the water is looking for a place to go.  Basements are usually the first place to have a problem.  Some people have French Drains or Sump Pumps because this is common in their area.  If you have water back up coverage, and the drain or sump pump gets backed up, the damage would be covered. 

If you have Flood Insurance, damage to your home and mechanical equipment in the basement would be covered by ground water.  Contents aren't covered, so furniture and personal belongings won't be covered.  Just the walls, electrical outlets and wires, washer, dryer, refrigerator, a/c, heating, and other permanent part of the house would be covered by flood.

What to do:  The first thing to do if you have water damage is to stop further damage.  Get someone to patch the roof, or get a pump to get the water out of the basement.  Then you need to get someone to clean up the damage.  Mold can be a problem, so you need to minimize it. There are companies that specialize in water damage cleanups out there.  Many insurance companies will send one out just to stop further damage.

If the damage is minimal, you might not want to file a claim.  Home insurance rates in New York have been climbing because of all of the recent storms that we have had over the past two years.  On Long Island, it is getting tougher to get coverage, especially on the South Shore.  Fortunately, I have several companies who have great rates to help.  If you have any questions, give us a call. 888-900-2173