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Winter Storm Resource Page

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While winter in Texas is not as severe or debilitating as it is in the north, Texans each year confront their own set of problems when the snowy, icy, and frigid weather sets in. Many Texans were caught by surprise during the unusually cold and wet 2007 winter season that brought winter storms to the state. With proper preparation and planning, you can be ready to protect your family and property.

Before the Storm: Insurance Tips | General Tips | Evacuation Tips | After the Storm: General Tips | Insurance Tips | Repairing Your Home

Current Conditions, Information, and Resources

Before the Storm

Insurance Tips   

  • Keep an inventory. Fill out TDI's Home Inventory Checklist (PDF) that you can print or save to a disk and keep somewhere secure. Consider e-mailing it to yourself to ensure you'll have it wherever you are. Also take photos or videotape of each room and the exterior of your home to keep with your inventory.
  • Gather important documents and insurance cards and policies. Unless they are stored in a safe place, take health insurance cards; auto and home insurance policies; and an inventory of your possessions, including receipts and photos or videos.
  • Know what your policy covers. Make certain your homeowners or commercial property coverage is still in force and that it provides adequate coverage to pay the full replacement cost of your property. Check your auto policy to see if you have comprehensive coverage "other than collision." Comprehensive coverage pays if a storm, fire, or flood damages your car. Find out how much coverage you have for "additional living expenses" to cover lodging, food, and other expenses if you're forced to vacate your residence after suffering a covered loss.
  • Know your policy limits. Contact your agent and check the limits of your policies. For homeowners policies, ask about limits for contents and buildings. Your limits may be too low if replacement costs have risen because of new additions, improvements, or inflation.
  • Review your health coverage. Find out if you'll be able to receive non-emergency care from out-of-network providers, if needed, without accruing additional out-of-pocket costs.
  • Consider renters insurance if you don't have it. A landlord's insurance policy usually covers the house or building, but not the personal property of the building's tenants. If you rent an apartment, duplex, house, or townhouse, you may need renters insurance to protect your belongings.
  • Consider business interruption coverage. Business interruption coverage compensates you for lost income and certain operating expenses if you are forced to vacate your business because of a loss covered in your policy.
  • Consider alternative storing methods for company files. Important documents can be scanned and stored in a safe location. Also consider taking photos of office equipment and furniture.

General Tips    

  • Take precautions to protect your home:
    • Buy emergency repair items: masking tape, lumber, plastic sheeting, sandbags and sand. Keep all receipts for insurance or tax purposes.
    • Insulate walls and attics.
    • Insulate pipes and allow faucets to drip a little to avoid freezing.
    • Caulk and add weather stripping to doors and windows. Clear rain gutters.
    • Repair roof leaks and ensure roofs are structurally stable to withstand the weight of snow and ice.
    • Cut tree branches that could fall on a house or other structure when weighed down with ice.
    • Keep a fire extinguisher handy. House fires are risks when people use alternative heating sources without taking necessary precautions.
    • Learn to shut of water valves in case a pipe bursts.
  • Check for weather bulletins. When a storm warning has been issued for your area – an alert that a storm has not yet hit, but conditions are likely in the days or hours ahead – regularly check TV and radio for official bulletins.
  • Stock necessary supplies. Buy rock salt to melt ice and walkways and sand to improve your vehicle's traction and to weigh down pickup trucks.
  • Prepare to be without electricity. Have sufficient heating fuel and wood for your fireplace or stove, and stock up on canned goods and bottled water, check supplies of medicines and first-aid equipment, and check batteries in radios and flashlights.
  • Prepare your vehicle. Ask a mechanic to check antifreeze levels; the battery and ignition system; brakes; exhaust system; fuel and air filters; heater and defroster; lights and hazard lights; oil levels; thermostat; windshield wipers; and tire tread and inflation.
  • Stock your car for emergencies. Include in your car kit a shovel; windshield scraper; flashlight; battery-powered radio; batteries; water and snacks; matches; blankets and extra clothes, hats and mittens; first aid kit with a knife; tow chain or rope; road sand and salt; booster cables; and flares.

Evacuation Tips     

  • Monitor storm reports. Consider crowded roadways and possible flooding in deciding your route and departure time.
  • Plan your escape route early. Check with the Red Cross or other authorities for the location of the nearest shelter.
  • Work out a way for family members to communicate if you are separated. Remember that in a severe storm, local phone service may be disrupted. Ask a friend or relative who lives outside your immediate area to serve as a point of contact.
  • If you are leaving your home, lock and secure the premises. Take small valuables and important documents with you.  

After the Winter Storm

General Tips   

  • If you are returning home being gone, enter your home with caution. Turn on your flashlight before you enter your home to avoid sparks that could cause a fire or explosion if there's a gas leak. Do not smoke or use oil, gas lanterns, candles, or torches for lighting inside a damaged home until you are sure there is no leaking gas or other flammable materials present.
  • Do not enter your home if you smell gas or your home was damaged by fire and authorities have not said it's safe to enter. Continue listening to the radio for emergency updates and news reports.
  • Be cautious of your surroundings outdoors. Watch for fallen objects; downed electrical wires; and weakened walls, bridges, roads, and sidewalks.
  • Be wary of refrigerator contents. Electricity may be restored but it might have been off long enough to ruin the contents of your refrigerator or freezer

Insurance Tips    

  • Contact your insurance agent or company promptly. Keep a record of all contacts you have with your company.  Be prepared to answer questions about the extent and severity of the damage.
  • If your home is not insured, contact your local Red Cross or FEMA Disaster Recovery Center for assistance. Disaster assistance is money or direct assistance to individuals, families, and businesses. It is meant to help you with critical expenses that cannot be covered in other ways. Call FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).
  • Make a list of your damaged property. Photograph or videotape the damage if possible. Refer to your policy to determine the amount of  personal property coverage you have. Don't throw away damaged items until your insurance adjuster has had a chance to view them.
  • Make necessary repairs to protect your home and property from further damage. If there is partial damage to your home, take reasonable and necessary repairs to protect your home and property from further damage. Cover broken windows and holes to keep rain out. Don't make permanent repairs until instructed by your insurance company. Keep a record of your repair expenses and save all receipts.
  • Know if you have replacement cost or actual cash value coverage. Replacement cost is what you would pay to rebuild or repair your home, based on current construction costs. Actual cash value is based on the replacement cost of the dwelling minus a deduction for depreciation. With replacement cost coverage, the company will pay you the actual cash value initially and after repairs are complete, will pay the remaining amount owed on the claim. If you have replacement cost coverage for personal property when your loss occurs, your loss will be paid on an actual cash value basis until the property is repaired or replaced.
  • Ask your agent about additional living expenses (ALE) or loss of use. ALE may provide coverage for some of the expenses you incur if you are unable to live in your home because of damage from a covered peril. Most policies pay up to 20 percent of you home's insured value. Provide your insurance company with documentation regarding your expenses. Keep your receipts. When possible, the documentation should include the vendor, date, and amount. Remember that different insurance policies may have different coverages, limits, and procedures for reimbursement.
  • Refer to your policy to know what deductible you'll be required to pay. Most homeowners policies contain two deductibles: one for windstorm and hail losses, and one for all other losses.

   Repairing Your Home    

  • If you hire a public insurance adjuster, make sure the public adjuster is licensed by TDI. Public insurance adjusters work independently and charge a fee for their services. Public insurance adjusters must disclose their fees in the written contract with you. To learn whether a public insurance adjuster is licensed, call TDI.
  • Try to be present when the insurance company's adjuster inspects your damage. Be sure your address is visible. If damage forces you to move, leave a note or a plywood sign with your temporary address, phone number and name of your insurance company.
  • Resolving your claim. Your insurance company must acknowledge that it has begun an investigation within 15 days of receiving your claim. The company may request additional information to settle your claim. Once it has that information, the company must accept or reject your claim within 15 business days or tell you why it needs more time. If the Commissioner of Insurance designates the event as a major catastrophe, the claim handling deadlines are extended for an additional 15 days. Once a settlement is reached, the company has five business days to mail you a check. If you do not receive your payment promptly, call your agent.
  • Work with reputable contractors. Ask contractors for references and verify them. Contact your Better Business Bureau, local police, or chamber of commerce for information. Insist on an itemized contract in writing and pay only as work is completed. The Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act prohibits price gouging once the governor has declared an area a disaster area. Call the Office of the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Hot Line, 1-800-337-3928, if you suspect price gouging or any other deceptive business practice.

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Last updated: 02/23/2012



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