Catastrophe Information
In the event of a Catastrophe in Florida, Report property and casualty claims
by calling 1-866-275-7322. This toll free number is available 24 hours a day,
7 days a week.
We immediately dispatch our Florida Farm
Bureau Florida’s Best #1 Catastrophe Team to the disaster area.
We bring in many extra people to handle these additional claims.
Therefore, we would like you to report all claims to us just as soon as possible. Please
do not delay reporting your claim thinking we are too busy to get to yours. We need the
claims reported ASAP so we can determine the proper number of staff needed to respond and
while we have the extra staff available to handle them promptly.
Our claims adjusters work diligently to address all claims promptly.
During our years of experience in helping our members recover from catastrophes, we have
developed a system that gets help promptly to those who are most severely damaged.
It’s our practice to settle all claims as quickly as possible.
Hurricanes and tornadoes cause damages ranging from total losses to cosmetic damage. All
claims are important; but, we think you’ll agree that total loss victims need our
services as fast as possible, so they can begin rebuilding their lives. Therefore the
highest priority is being given to those victims who have suffered the heaviest damages.
When we have taken care of the basic needs of those policyholders, we’ll quickly move
on to help those with less severe damage.
Hurricanes generally cause damages through flooding of property and
wind damage to property. Flooding and wind damages are covered under separate policies.
Flooding
Flood insurance must be purchased separately from homeowner’s
insurance. If you have flood insurance, your damages caused by wave, tidal action, or
other flooding will be covered. If you do not have flood insurance those damages will not
be covered by your homeowners policy.
Wind
Homeowners insurance will cover damages to your home and contents
caused by the hurricane’s wind.
Safety
Your personal safety is of concern to us. Your home and property,
which were once so familiar to you, and probably quite safe, have no doubt been altered by
the hurricane. Be very cautious when re-entering your hurricane damaged home. Remember it
may be days before the area may be considered safe by the emergency management officials.
Use caution.
Electricity
Treat ALL downed wires as if they were energized electrical lines.
Stay away and let professionals from your local electrical utility check to make sure
they’re safe. If your House was flooded, assume that water got into the electrical
system and that it is unsafe. Have an electrician check it to assure its safety.
Natural or Propane Gas
Sometimes hurricanes will break gas pipes and cause gas to leak into
the house. If you smell the "rotten egg" smells of natural or propane gas, leave
the house and call your local fire department or gas company immediately. Wait until they
give you the "all clear" before going back into the house.
Structural Stability
Hurricanes are violent storms that exert great force on structures.
If the house is "listing" or leaning over, assume it isn’t safe to enter. A
listing structure could collapse. Have the building’s stability checked by your local
building official, an engineer, or a competent contractor.
Sanitation
It is quite possible your drinking water may be contaminated because
of the storm. Food products stored in the home may also be contaminated. The same can be
said for medicines which might have been in the house. A rule-of-thumb you might follow is
to treat anything you will eat or swallow with extreme caution, if it has gotten wet or
flooded in the storm. Your local government emergency management agency or the local
county extension agent’s office will have information about health related issues.
Please contact them for advice.
Settlement of Your Claim
An adjuster will soon be in touch with you to assist you in settling
your property insurance claim brought on by this storm. To help you begin recovery from
this disaster in a timely fashion, we would like to offer the following suggestions to
help you file your insurance claim.
The following recommendations are not to be construed as
confirmation of coverage under any policy.
Make decisions using common sense as if there was no insurance
involved.
Protect Your Property
Do the best you can to prevent further damage to your damaged
property. Arrange to cover holes in the roof with tar paper or heavy-duty plastic. Board
up broken windows with plywood or heavy-duty plastic. If damage to the structure is so
severe that you can’t just cover the roof with plastic, consider moving your
belongings into protected storage. The object is to protect your property from further
damage or theft.
Make reasonable and necessary repairs to help safeguard the
property.
Remember to keep accurate records and receipts of your expenses to
protect your property. Your policy will reimburse you for those reasonable and necessary
items.
Inventory the damage
Prepare a detailed inventory of damaged personal property. Try to
note everything on the inventory, no matter how small or unimportant it may seem.
Be sure to include a description of each item, its age, and the cost
to replace it at current prices.
Photographs or Videos
If you have photographs or videotapes of the damaged items before or
after the hurricane, consider using them to support your inventory. Any photograph or
video that shows your property and possessions will do. Snapshots and Christmas videos are
just fine. They’ll give your adjuster an idea of what the property looked like before
the storm.
Consider taking detailed photographs or a video of the property and
your possessions after the storm is over. Documentation of the damage may prove valuable
at a later date, for example when filing an income tax casualty loss.
Don’t Throw Damaged Property Away Too Soon
It’s human nature to want to tidy up and put life back in order
following a disaster. We’re here to help you resume your life as quickly as possible.
But please resist the urge to haul stuff away until your adjuster has seen the damage or
it may affect your settlement.
Your adjuster is a professional who works daily at helping people
cope with damage or destruction of property. The adjuster’s experienced eye may spot
something in the debris which could be very important to your claim. If you throw away
damaged property or personal possessions this may affect your claim.
Leave A Forwarding Address or Number
If you can’t stay in your home because of the hurricane
damages, be sure to leave a forwarding address and phone number with your adjuster or
agent. If the damage is severe like in Andrew where there are no street signs or house
numbers, consider painting your name, Farm Bureau and your house number on the front of
your home.
We have settled many claims following catastrophes. We understand
the grief and trauma you experience. We will work extra hard to get you "back to
normal".
