TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 19, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) has outlined key steps to help residents work toward recovery following Hurricane Isabel.
Protect yourself. Always be careful when entering a damaged building. If there is serious structural damage, contact local officials before entering. Report downed power lines or gas leaks. Keep electricity turned off if the house has been flooded.
Report the loss as soon as possible. Contact your insurance agent or insurer as soon as you can. Provide a general description of the damage and have your policy number handy if possible. Write down the adjuster's name, phone number and work schedule as soon as you have them.
Protect your property. Take reasonable steps to protect your property from further damage. This could mean boarding up windows and salvaging undamaged items. Your insurance company can tell you what they will pay for regarding protection.
Prepare a list. Keep damaged items or portions of them until the claim adjuster has visited your home, and consider photographing or videotaping the damage to document your claim. Prepare a list of damaged or lost items for your adjuster.
Keep receipts. If you need to relocate, keep records and receipts for all additional expenses. Most insurance policies cover emergency living arrangements.
Return claim forms. After your insurance company has been notified of your claim, it must send you the necessary claim forms within a certain number of days (time period varies by state). Fill out and return the forms as soon as possible. If you do not understand the process, be sure to ask questions and write down the explanation.
Build stronger next time. As the rebuilding process begins, IBHS suggests asking the contractor about adding features that would increase the home's disaster-resistance.
This information was taken from the IBHS brochure, You Can Go Home Again. For more information, visit the IBHS web site, www.disastersafety.org or for a free single copy, call toll free 1 (866) 657-IBHS (4247).
IBHS is a national nonprofit initiative of the insurance industry to reduce deaths, injuries, property damage, economic losses and human suffering caused by natural disasters.
The Institute for Business & Home Safety company logo can be found at: http://media.primezone.com/prs/single/?pkgid=672