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Being prepared for your
insurance adjuster's visit will help
expedite your claim.
Restoring your home after a flood
is a long and difficult process - even when you have flood
insurance - but being well-prepared for filing your claim
can help speed the settlement, which in turn will help you
get things back to normal sooner.
The first and most important
step is to call your insurance agent to report your flood
claim, or contact the insurance company directly. Then, to
prevent further water damage from rains, put temporary tarpaulins
over roof leaks and attach plastic over any cracked windows.
The Flood Experts at Bankers
Insurance Group, one of the nation's leading carriers of flood
insurance, have these additional suggestions for starting
the cleanup process and expediting your settlement:
- Before beginning any clean-up,
take photographs of everything "as is," indoors and out,
to show the water level and extent of damage. Make a room-by-room
inventory of missing or damaged items, and try to locate
receipts for major purchases.
- Wear boots and heavy gloves
during cleanup. Flood water can be severely contaminated
and/or carry snakes and insects.
- Separate damaged and undamaged
property. Remove all wet upholstered furniture, draperies
and other large items to a garage or other area where it
can be stored until you can determine whether it can be
cleaned, reupholstered, or salvaged.
- Remove all wet carpet and
carpet padding, but save a large piece of both carpet and
pad to show your insurance adjuster. Once all the wet furniture
and carpets have been moved out of the way, remove any standing
water and mud that remain and then clean the floor with
soapy water and disinfectant.
- Use disinfectant and soapy
water to remove as much dirt and bacteria as possible from
hardwood furniture and other solid surfaces.
- Advance or partial payment
of your claim may be possible. Ask your adjuster about this.
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