Florida’s chief financial officer Jeff Atwater warned the state’s residents to not only prepare their supplies in anticipation of the coming storm season, but also to ready their insurance and financial documents.
Weather experts have anticipated that 2016’s storm season would be particularly active after more than a decade of no major storms hitting the state.
“I encourage all Floridians to verify their financial and insurance policy information as part of their family’s overall disaster-readiness plans,” Atwater told the Florida Courier. “It takes just a few minutes to print and fill out our emergency preparedness toolkit, and having copies of insurance policies and a photographic inventory of a family’s belongings can make a world of difference if you need to quickly file a claim.”
Atwater urged residents to prepare an insurance and financial packet of information that can be easily taken if homeowners need to evacuate their properties. The packet should have detailed account information related to property and health insurance policies. It should also include bank account information and contact numbers for all financial institutions and insurers. This packet can make the claims-filing process easier.
He pointed residents who do not know where to start to the Department of Financial Services, which offers a homeowners insurance toolkit to those in need of guidance. The toolkit allows homeowners to understand what certain insurance policies cover and to what extent—this helps residents determine if they require additional coverage.
Also, the toolkit helps residents create a property inventory, which allows them to make an accurate account of what they own and identify what might get damaged during a storm.
The toolkit also offers guidance on the insurance claims process. It has a legal and financial document checklist to help residents know if they have the adequate papers necessary to file claims and which documents to save in the midst of a disaster.
An abbreviated version of the toolkit is available online.
