MACON, Ga. — Insurance experts say it's important for people to prepare their property and store valuables ahead of a severe weather event.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, just one inch of water can cause up to $25,000 in damage. In Georgia, flood insurance is not required for home and business owners but depending on mortgage and lease specifics, it may be recommended.
Reyna Alcantar, a Farmers Insurance agency principal, says now's the time for people to keep their insurance policy handy and review it.
"Like one thing is the home ... that's usually referred to as 'coverage a' and that usually has a either rebuild or replacement cost amount or if you have an actual cash value policy, then it'll list what the actual cash value of the home is," Alcantar said.
She said she recommends policy holders document the condition of their items before and after the storm passes through.
"Make inventory of the things that you have and then if something is damaged, you already have the inventory on hand so that when you report the damage, something doesn't slip your mind," Alcantar said.
She said if a neighboring homes has a nearly uprooted tree and it's knocked down by strong winds onto someone else's yard or home, adding when filing a claim, the reporter will be responsible and have to pay even though the tree wasn't originally in their yard.
"I would take pictures, maybe have itemized list of things just in case something gets broken then you can send that to your insurance company so they'll know that you had it and it was intact before," Macon resident Sandrena Sermons said. "We brought in all of the furniture off of the balconies, so as to not if the wind is really strong, to hit someone else's home or their car."
Alcantar said most companies wont allow people to apply for insurance during severe weather events.
"It's gonna be very difficult to get any kind of coverage because most companies have bind restrictions; So just stay as safe as you can and mitigate the damage that you have," Alcantar said.
Alcantar also said she wants everyone to be safe while driving on the road and to avoid being out unless needed. If interested in applying for insurance coverage after the storm, she said make sure all damage is fixed because companies have guidelines insurers must meet before approving policies. Thursday, Georgia's Attorney General Chris Carr issued a statement for everyone to avoid storm insurance scams and repair fraudsters.
His office wrote "Make sure you know how to spot and report a scam before turning over your hard-earned dollars, and contact our Consumer Protection Division if you're in need of assistance."