Preparing for Hurricane Season
Louisiana REALTORS • June 3, 2021
Louisiana REALTORS® has partnered with the FEMA outreach and DOTD education teams to provide REALTORS® with helpful information regarding flood insurance, disaster preparation and recovery through our monthly
Flood Risk & Recovery Series. In June, FEMA and DOTD were joined by representatives from GOHSEP, the Louisiana Department of Insurance, Louisiana Watershed Initiative, Fannie Mae and the Professional Insurance Agents of Louisiana to discuss what to do before, during and after a hurricane to be fully prepared. Please see below for a few highlights, resources and FAQs that were addressed in the session. This is great information to share with your clients as the hurricane season approaches.
Before A Storm:
Insurance Tips/Tricks:
- If you have a home insurance policy, make sure you find and understand what you are covered for. If you have a paper file, save a backup on a flash drive so that it will be accessible no matter what. Look at the declarations page of your policy for:
- Exclusions, specifically wind/hail - if you have this, you'll want to call your insurance agent to adjust
- Deductibles, specifically the hurricane or named storm, wind/hail and flood deductibles to see what you will have to pay out of pocket for and if they need to be adjusted
- Actual cash value vs. replacement cost - it's often recommended to go with "replacement cost," as it allows for you to be covered for the full replacement cost of your items as opposed to their depreciated values
- There is a
difference between standard insurance and flood insurance. FEMA will only offer assistance for presidentially-declared disasters, but flood insurance can be paid out any time a flood occurs. It's usually also a much larger payout from your flood insurance policy than from FEMA assistance.
- If you do not have flood insurance, get it, especially if you are in a high-risk area. It takes 30 days for flood insurance to take effect, so don't wait.
- If cost is what's holding you back from getting insurance, get what you can afford. Some coverage is better than none.
- If you are a renter, get content only flood insurance - your property's owner probably has the building insured, but contents only insurance will help you cover the cost of replacing any damage to your possessions that was caused by flooding.
Preparing Your Property:
- Mitigate as best you can. If your home is below the base of elevation or if you have previously filed for assistance, you may be eligible to apply for a grant to help prevent damage.
- Repair, remove and secure anything in your yard that could potentially become airborne.
During A Storm:
- Stay calm and be safe.
- Stick to your pre-determined plan.
- Protect yourself and then help others.
After A Storm:
- Assess your property and contact your insurance agent right away if you have any damage.
- Be sure to take photos of everything - do not throw anything away.
- Once documented, secure what you can on your property.
- Once you have filed your claim, document all points-of-contact and conversations you have with representatives, appraisers, etc.
- If preparing to apply for any sort of grant or financial aid, be sure you have:
- A copy of your declarations page from your policy
- A copy of all of your policies in chronology of coverage
- Statement of Loss from insurance carrier
- Check stub from final insurance payout
- Proof of property ownership (title, owner of record, etc.)
- Supplemental occupancy proof (utilities, driver's license, etc.)
- Note that you can only receive financial assistance from one agency - your status will be checked before any sum is granted.
Resources:
- GetAGameplan.org - Updated after every disaster, this resource from GOHSEP provides a wealth of helpful information like preparedness guides, evacuation routes and more.
- Disaster Response Network - Fannie Mae offers this excellent resource to connect homeowners and renters who have experienced a disaster with HUD-trained counselors to give advice on things like FEMA aid, insurance claims, SBA claims, etc. for up to 18 months. Call (877) 833-1746 for assistance.
- KnowYourOptions.com - This Fannie Mae hub explains everything you need to know about the insurance claims process in easy-to-understand terms.
- NAIC Home Inventory App - This resource from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners will help you take and record an inventory of your belongings so that you can submit an accurate insurance claim.
FAQs:
Discover technology Louisiana real estate agents can use to keep buyers and sellers informed, educated, and confident throughout every transaction.
Candidate qualifying for Louisiana’s November 3 election began Wednesday, August 5, and concludes Friday, August 7. The three-day qualifying period will establish the candidates for all six U.S. House districts, as well as judicial, parish and municipal races across the state. This election cycle includes several changes to Louisiana’s congressional races and election calendar. The state’s U.S. House primaries, originally scheduled for May 16, were canceled following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais. The Louisiana Legislature subsequently adopted a new congressional map that reduced the number of Black-majority congressional districts from two to one. Under the revised election calendar, the November 3 U.S. House contests will use an open primary system. All qualified candidates will appear on the November ballot, regardless of party affiliation. A candidate receiving more than 50% of the vote will be elected. If no candidate receives a majority, the two candidates receiving the most votes will advance to a December 12 runoff. U.S. Senate The November general election will feature Republican nominee U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow and Democratic nominee Jamie Davis. Letlow's Senate campaign has also created an open seat in Louisiana's 5th Congressional District. 5th Congressional District Several candidates have announced campaigns for the 5th Congressional District seat: State Sen. Stewart Cathey State Rep. Michael Echols Louisiana Board of Regents Chair Misti Cordell State Rep. Gabe Firment Cathey, Echols and Firment currently serve in the Louisiana Legislature. Additional candidates may qualify before the deadline on Friday. The 5th District covers portions of northeastern and central Louisiana and extends into the Florida Parishes. 6th Congressional District Congressman Cleo Fields has announced that he will not seek reelection in the newly redrawn 6th Congressional District. Instead, Fields is running in a special election for his former state Senate seat, which became vacant following the death of Sen. Larry Selders of Baton Rouge. The newly drawn 6th Congressional District extends around the Baton Rouge area and includes portions of rural communities surrounding the capital region. State Sen. Rick Edmonds has announced his candidacy. State Sen. Blake Miguez has also been discussed as a potential candidate, although the candidate field will not be finalized until qualifying closes Friday. Federal law requires congressional candidates to reside in the state they seek to represent but does not require them to reside within the specific congressional district. 2nd Congressional District Congressman Troy Carter currently represents the 2nd Congressional District, which extends from the Baton Rouge area toward New Orleans. Under the newly adopted congressional map, the 2nd District remains Louisiana's sole Black-majority congressional district. East Baton Rouge Parish Judiciary All 15 judgeships on the 19th Judicial District Court are scheduled for election following the Legislature's creation of two new judicial election subdistricts. Each subdistrict will elect seven judges, with an additional judgeship elected parishwide. Litigation challenging the new judicial map remains pending. Judicial races are among the contests being monitored by Louisiana REALTORS® and local Political Action Teams. Judicial decisions can have implications for property rights, business activity, litigation and the overall legal environment in Louisiana. Local Elections Voters across Louisiana will also consider candidates for mayors, city and parish councils, school boards, police chiefs and other local offices. While these races typically receive less statewide attention than congressional and statewide contests, local elected officials make decisions affecting land use, zoning, permitting, infrastructure, taxation and housing policy. These issues can directly affect real estate activity and development within local communities. Candidate Lists and Election Information The candidate field will not be final until qualifying closes Friday, August 7. The official list of qualified candidates is available through the Louisiana Secretary of State's Candidate Inquiry portal. The complete election schedule, including key dates for voting, registration and absentee ballots, is available through the Secretary of State's election calendar. For Louisiana REALTORS®, the qualifying period provides an early look at the candidates who will appear on the November ballot and the races that may affect real estate, property rights, development and local communities across the state.
The Louisiana REALTORS® Board of Directors will elect six (6) LR At-Large Directors at its October 1st meeting. Qualifications and an application for the position can be found below.
