Are You Prepared for Barry? Steps to Take Before and After the Storm

Amy P. Fennell • July 11, 2019

Written by: Bruce A. Bender, CFM
Bruce has been providing outreach and risk communication services to Federal, state and local governments such as FEMA's National Flood Insurance Programs marketing campaign (FloodSmart) and their nationwide mapping effort, known as Risk MAP. He also works with coastal and inland counties and communities in helping them develop and implement successful public outreach and stakeholder engagement strategies.

Are You Prepared?

With Barry baring down on Louisiana, it is important you are prepared and stay safe should flooding and other damage occur. Here are some steps to take now, if you haven’t already taken them, plus some post-storm pointers.

Before the Storm

·        Create an Emergency Kit with supplies to last at least 72 hours.

·        Bring in items that can float or be blown away (e.g., outdoor furniture, toys).

·        Turn off propane tanks and unplug small appliances.

·        Create a communication plan with other family members and friends should you lose power.

·        Safeguard important documents ; keep them in a waterproof container or a digital record in the cloud.  This includes a digital record of household items and valuable belongings (e.g., take a video or photos with your phone of each room and the exterior of the building).  If you have swatches of carpet, wallpaper, upholstery, window treatments, etc., save those in a waterproof container.

·        Don’t forget your pets; have a plan for them too!


·        If flooding is forecasted or imminent for your specific area, take flood loss avoidance measures , of which some may be covered by your flood insurance policy.

·        Contact your insurance agent to learn how best to get hold of them after the storm.

After the Storm

·        Don’t walk or drive in floodwaters.  There may be downed power lines and dangerous debris that you cannot see.  And just 6 inches of water can knock you off your feet.  If driving, there may be washed out sections of the roads you can’t see.  And just 12 inches of moving water can float many cars; 24 inches can sweep away trucks and SUVs. Turn Around. Don’t Drown.

·        When it is safe to return home and you find it damaged, contact your insurance agent immediately. A claims adjuster should contact you in 24-48 hours (depending on the severity of the storm) to start the claims process. Review this infographic or fact sheet to learn more about the claims process.

·        While waiting for the adjuster, take photos or videos inside and outside of the home. If possible, record model, make and serial numbers of major appliances.  Remove flood-damaged items, making sure you document well what is taken out.

For more tips about what to do before and after a flood, read FEMA’s Claims Handbook for policyholders.  For more information about flood insurance, visit FloodSmart.gov. And to learn how to plan ahead for future severe weather, visit Ready.gov.

Affordable housing information for Louisiana real estate professionals
By Louisiana REALTORS® May 21, 2026
What qualifies as affordable housing in Louisiana? Learn about AMI, HUD income tiers, and housing support programs for clients.
Affordable housing resources for real estate agents in Louisiana
By Louisiana REALTORS® May 18, 2026
Learn how Louisiana real estate agents can support affordable housing through LHC programs, buyer education, and housing advocacy efforts.
By Louisiana REALTORS® May 15, 2026
Week 10 brought meaningful movement on several Louisiana REALTORS® priorities affecting real estate, property rights and insurance. And Week 11 is shaping up to be one of the most important stretches of the session. The biggest developments last week were the final Senate passage of HB 468 by Rep. Troy Hebert with amendments, movement of HB 1027 by Rep. Hebert to the Governor for executive approval, continued Senate progress on HB 1187 and HB 1166 , and final legislative action on SB 180 . REALTOR® Day at the Capitol also came at an important time, giving members the opportunity to reinforce industry priorities with legislators as several key bills neared final passage or awaited committee, concurrence or floor action. Just as importantly, the Louisiana REALTORS® legislative package has now cleared most of its major hurdles, and barring any late-session surprises, the remaining package’s bills should be headed to the Governor’s desk shortly. On the core real estate package, HB 468 , the wholesale regulation bill, remains the most immediate priority. The Senate passed the bill 34-0 on May 12 with amendments, and it now returns to the House for concurrence. That places it in a fast-moving posture, and members should be prepared for quick House action once concurrence is called. HB 1027 , the appraiser liability bill, has now moved into final executive posture after passing the Senate 35-0 without amendments and being sent to the Governor. Together, those two bills represent major wins for consumer protection, market integrity and greater certainty in the real estate transaction process. Insurance remains one of the busiest and most important policy areas as we head into Week 11. HB 1187 , dealing with Louisiana Citizens for emergency assessments, was reported favorably by the Senate Insurance Committee and is now pending Legislative Bureau for review in the Senate. HB 759 , addressing fortified roof endorsement offers, remains one of the more important insurance and mitigation bills still in play and is positioned for Senate floor action. HB 408 , which would prohibit insurers from non-renewing residential policies when homeowners timely mitigate risks, remains pending in House Insurance, as does HB 1210 , which would create a mandatory pre-suit claim review process for residential property insurance. Additional insurance measures, including HB 850 on Standard Fire Policy cancellation notices, HB 1162 on contractor verification in insurance claims, and SB 241 on adjuster and appraiser license-number disclosure, also remain active. These bills continue to matter because insurance affordability, mitigation, claims handling and policy stability remain central to property ownership and transaction viability across Louisiana. On disclosure and regulatory matters, HB 1166 by Rep. Kim Carver , requiring disclosures for vacant residential property and carrying out the adopted LREC reform amendment, was reported favorably by the Senate Commerce Committee and is now pending with the Legislative Bureau for review in the Senate. That keeps the bill in a strong position for Senate floor movement and makes it one of the key bills to watch in Week 11. SB 180 , allowing a surviving spouse of a deceased disabled veteran to transfer an expanded property tax exemption under certain circumstances, has completed legislative action and is now in final processing. Week 10 and the run into Week 11 also reflected an important defensive win for Louisiana REALTORS®. Our team successfully worked to block and tackle HB 617 and HB 750 to ensure real estate and nonprofit activity were not swept into overly broad consumer protection frameworks. On HB 617 , Louisiana REALTORS® opposed the bill as drafted and worked to posture it so that real estate professionals would not be caught up in a fee-disclosure framework that does not fit the realities of real estate transactions. On HB 750 , we worked to ensure the bill would not be interpreted to reach real estate or nonprofit operations in a way that could create unintended compliance burdens for leases, property management arrangements, association activity, or recurring charges authorized under those structures. That effort helped keep broad subscription-style language from bleeding into housing and nonprofit operations where it plainly does not belong. Civil justice and broader property rights measures also remain active entering Week 11. HB 437 , dealing with expert witness fees, and HB 1089 , creating CARE Accounts for certain damages arising from delictual actions, remain pending in Senate Judiciary A and remain high-priority tort reform measures to watch. HB 472, the rent stabilization bill, remains involuntarily deferred and stays on the watch list for any attempted revival through another vehicle or amendment. Additional redevelopment and tax-related measures, such as HB 214 and HB 217, also remain relevant to the broader conversation on blight, reinvestment and neighborhood stabilization. A few additional housing and valuation bills are also worth noting HB 292 on security deposits, HB 297 on early lease termination in stalking and cyberstalking situations, and HB 300 on appraisal thresholds for bank-owned property have all advanced and remain part of the broader housing policy landscape. The practical takeaway is straightforward: Week 11 will likely move fast, and late-session maneuvering can matter as much as headline floor votes. Louisiana REALTORS® should be prepared for House concurrence on HB 468 , further Senate movement on HB 1166 and HB 1187 , continued action on insurance and tort reform, and the possibility of late amendments or procedural pivots on bills affecting real estate transactions, private property rights, housing affordability, nonprofits, property managers and the broader real estate industry. The package is in strong shape, but this is the point in the session when the finish line comes into view and traffic gets thick. Please view the weekly bill tracking report provided by our lobbying team over at Harris, DeVille and Associates. 
Show More