Hurricane Victims

Hurricane Katrina Damage Claims must be filed by August 28, 2006

As millions of Americans finally begin to dig out from the rubble after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita battered the Gulf Coast, the long, tedious, and painful process of rebuilding begins.

Tragically, as the floodwaters recede, victims are returning home to find that their homes have suffered extensive damage - and some have returned to find that they have no home left at all. In the midst of urgent needs for food, clothing, and temporary housing, many victims are having to deal with a logistical nightmare - filing insurance claims and anxiously waiting for word on their fates.

Hurricanes are some of the most destructive events in the world. Pounding the area with high speed winds, torrential downpours, and raging surf, it is a wonder that any manmade objects withstand the brunt of nature’s fury. People who live in low-lying or hurricane prone areas know that one important way to safeguard their homes and possessions is through the various insurance policies many companies provide.

Unfortunately, insurance coverage is highly complex and many victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita aren't sure where to turn for answers. If you need help starting down the path of rebuilding, check out the following resources for help:

American Red Cross
American National Guard
Department of Homeland Security
Displaced TSA Employees
FEMA
Florida Division of Emergency Management
GO Direct: U.S.

Hurricane Relief

The largest domestic relief bailout in American history is underway after Katrina and Rita.

The catastrophic damage caused by the two storms that battered the Gulf coast has been estimated at billions of dollars - making the one-two punch one of the most expensive natural disasters in the country's history.

After a highly criticized start, federal and state relief agency's have joined forces to alleviate the immediate and long-term suffering of over a million victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is working around the clock to coordinate the important resources that victims may need, including financial relief for basic goods and services, such as food and temporary housing. If you are a victim of Hurricane Katrina and/or Rita, visit their site to find information on vital services and programs.

Hurricane Aid

Over $2 billion has already been raised in public and private funds to help victims of Katrina and Rita.

As Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged the Gulf Coast in a deadly one-two punch, millions of Americans were affected by their destructive paths. Although the devastation was profound, the massive amount of private and public aid that has poured in to help rebuild the decimated region shows the true depth of generosity and compassion of people across the country - and in fact, throughout the world.

Thousands of organizations are now working towards a united mission of hurricane aid - providing housing, employment, clothing, medical, clothing and other forms of financial relief for those that are suffering. Generous donors around the country are already making this relief effort among the largest in American history. In fact, the American Red Cross estimates that Hurricane Katrina relief efforts will exceed $2 billion. If you are one of the victims of either or both of these storms, you deserve help. The following aid organizations can help:

American Red Cross
American National Guard
Department of Homeland Security
Displaced TSA Employees
FEMA
Florida Division of Emergency Management
GO Direct: U.S.

Hurricane Flood Damage

Flood damage devastated hundreds of thousands of homes along the Gulf of Mexico during and after the storms.

When the Gulf Coast was smashed by both Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, millions of homes were threatened and many destroyed completely - from both the actual storms and the floodwaters that followed.

The massive flooding that inundated homes and businesses turned out to be the most destructive legacy of the hurricanes as rising waters ruined nearly everything that they touched.

Many looked towards their insurers for help, believing that they were covered and not knowing that they might possibly be denied because of confusion about their policies. Tragically, many of the victims who lost their homes were not covered. In fact, 60 percent of people in affected areas did not have flood insurance and many of these people are struggling to make sense of what they are owed. If you are one of these victims, you can fight an unfair claim rejection by proving that the damage to your home was caused by wind and not simply by flood waters.

There are a few things that you can do to help ensure that insurers reimburse you for the flooding damage that the hurricanes caused. Because your homeowner's policy does cover you in the event of wind damage, wind-blown rain damage, fire and theft, it is up to you to prove that the damage that was sustained to your home was caused by wind and not flood waters. Because hurricanes by their very nature have exceptionally strong and damaging winds, make sure that you look for signs that prove that the wind damage directly lead to the flooding, so that you aren't callously left empty-handed by your insurance company.

Hurricane Wind Damage

Wind damaged sustained during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita proved to be catastrophic for many homes.

When the Gulf Coast was delivered a devastating one-two punch with two consecutive hurricanes, people across the south learned firsthand the incredible power of wind and the depths of the destruction that such winds can produce.

Debris can break windows and doors, allowing high winds inside the home and the force of the wind alone can cause the entire foundation to fail.

Hurricanes inherently cause sustained wind damage due to the sheer force of such a massive storm, but Hurricanes Katrina and Rita swept in with such force that millions of homes suffered from the damaging winds. Many of these victims are only now beginning to be able to shift through the rubble and start the long process of rebuilding.

There are a few things to look for when preparing your wind damage claim for your insurance adjuster that will make the painful process go more smoothly. First, make sure to document all of your personal losses. Get an inventory checklist from your insurance company, or download one from the Insurance Information Institute at www.iii.org.

Even if you have already received a check from your insurance company, don't give up and assume that this is the end of the road. There's a long window, according to Jeanne Salvatore of the Insurance Information Institute, where you can add more information to your claim.

Hurricane Katrina Claims

Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast from Texas to Mississippi causing hundreds of deaths and billions of dollars of property damage. Many thousands of people are returning to their homes to find them reduced to tinder-strewn rubble or saturated with foul and polluted water.

The sole remaining hope left for many of these victims is that insurance reimbursements can provide the money to start the long and tedious process of rebuilding. Tragically, this is not the case in many situations.

A great many of the homes decimated by Hurricane Katrina were ruined by deep water flooding that caused profound and irreversable structural damage. While reasonable people would assume that hurricane-induced flooding is part and parcel for insurance coverage, many carriers are attempting to lie or bribe their customers into signing waivers that claim their house was destroyed by flooding and not the hurricane. In some cases, the homes that insurance carriers were trying to claim were destroyed by water were first obviously destroyed by wind.

Make a stand against these companies are forsaking the needs of their customers in their time of need. Join the chorus of voices demanding that insurance providers employ fair business practices and do their part to alleviate the suffering of those who have lost so much. Contact us as soon as possible so that you can explore your legal options today.

Hurricane Rita Claims

The Gulf Coast suffered another devastating blow when another massive hurricane threatened the region still reeling from the costliest natural disaster that the country has ever known. In fact, Hurricane Rita is on record as being the strongest measured hurricane to ever have entered the Gulf of Mexico, and the third most intense hurricane ever in the Atlantic Basin.

Although this hurricane proved to be a less catastrophic storm than Hurricane Katrina, millions of people in her path were affected - some sustaining profound losses that are just beginning to be calculated.

For the countless victims left in the rubble, insurance payouts are one of the few resources available to begin the long process of rebuilding. It's important that policyholders demand the highest level of service and expediency in their providers during the difficult and often tedious process of repayment. Insurance policies of any sort are inherantly complex, and innocent survivors are entitled to the resources they need to begin the daunting task of starting over.

Unfortunately, it is during these trying times that unscrupulous insurance companies pressure their own clients into signing forms and waivers indicating their property was damaged by flood waters, which is not covered under insurance, rather than the hurricanes, which is covered.

Don't give up until you have received what you believe that you deserve. If you believe that your claim has been unjustly rejected or if you sense that you are being taken advantage of in your time of need, make sure that you know your legal options. Call for guidance today.

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