Is your insurance ready to protect you through hurricane season?

June 06--Louisiana's insurance commissioner is offering tips for homeowners as hurricane season begins.

"With one storm threat already under our belts for the 2018 season, everyone should have a good start on storm preparations," Jim Donelon said in a news release. "Stocking up on bottled water and batteries isn't the only thing that you should do to prepare for hurricane season though. Getting your insurance policies in order now can allow you to concentrate on other preparations when storms enter the Gulf."

Donelon and the department offer these tips:

Check your insurance coverage. Named storm and hurricane deductibles typically run 2 percent to 5 percent of the insured property's value. If a home has an insured value of $200,000 with a 5 percent hurricane deductible, the policyholder would pay $10,000 out of pocket before insurance coverage took effect.

Buy flood insurance. Flood damage resulting from heavy rain or storm surge is excluded from most policies, and there is typically a 30-day waiting period before a flood insurance policy takes effect. For information on a National Flood Insurance Program policy, contact your agent or visit www.floodsmart.gov. You can search for an agent on the Louisiana Insurance Department's website, ldi.la.gov/findagent.

Update your home inventory. You can use your phone to take pictures or video of the items in your home. Having a record of your possessions will make the claims process easier in the event of property damage or loss. Include identifying information such as brand name and serial number.

Have copies of your policies and your agent's contact information ready to go. It will help you to start the claims process as soon as possible after a storm passes.

Hurricane season started June 1 and continues through Nov. 30.

For more, visit the Insurance Department's website or call 1-800-259-5300.

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