The cost of cleaning up: Flood insurance a necessity for Golden Isles residents
Her cleanup process was halted, though, since the insurance company had told her to wait on an adjuster before throwing anything out.
"They told us not to throw anything away, to take lots of pictures, and that somebody would be back in touch with us within 48 hours," Harrell said Wednesday. "And it's getting close to 48 hours."
After slipping and sliding on the piles of mud left behind, Harrell told the insurance company she had to start mopping it up.
"I told him we had to get the mud out of the house and they weren't going to let us even do that, but I told them it's going to be more damage at the house," she said. "So they told us to do what we could to decrease the damage and keep receipts."
A few miles north from the Riverside neighborhood,
"We videotaped everything," Kennedy said. "It's bad to say, but I've already been through this and as long as you video tape to show everything, they'll come in and look at the water lines and they'll pay you depending on how high it is."
Not all those affected by Hurricane Irma's rising waters felt the same confidence when trying to speak to their insurance companies, and some were dismayed to find out that their coverage wasn't going to replace everything they lost.
Regular homeowners and renters insurance policies do not typically cover flood damage, and separate flood insurance coverage must be purchased for structure damage and damage to the contents inside homes.
Floods are the nation's most common and costly natural disaster and cause millions of dollars in damage every year, according to the
Some homes in
State Insurance Commissioner
"I saw lots of houses with water lines a foot high and people dragging wet furniture from their homes," he said. "I was surprised by the damage."
Nearly half of
By the time a storm like Irma is detected on the radar, it's too late for residents in flood zones to protect their property. Most flood insurance policies have a 30-day waiting period from the date of purchase until your policy goes into effect.
Although federal disaster assistance may become available after a large-scale storm, this money may come in the form of disaster loans that must be paid back or grants that are often much less than what is needed to recover,
Even for those with policies in place, flood damage can be overwhelming. Kennedy had just finished repairing the lower level of his home after Hurricane Matthew hit last year, and he said he hadn't yet decided whether to redo the space the again. For now, he was simply cleaning it out and documenting the damage for his insurance.
"We videotaped it before and we'll videotape it after, because I knew we would get some water," he said. "I just didn't know it would be this bad."
Reporter
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