Thinking Flood Insurance? May Be Too Late for Sandy | Bedford Corners NY Real Estate

Thinking Flood Insurance? May Be Too Late for Sandy

Many people are stocking up on groceries and filling up their gas tanks to prepare for the worst if the storm hits hard.
Some folks are even calling their insurance companies to be sure they are covered for any damage that may come.
People all around the Northeast are preparing for the storm, but if you are just deciding now that you want flood insurance to protect you from any damage Sandy may cause, your insurance company will tell you its a bit too late.
“If it’s something that you come in, and said I want flood insurance, there is a 30 day hold/wait until the policy goes into effect,” Brian Belden of American Heritage Insurance in West Springfield.
And with your homeowners insurance that can include coverage for wind damage in a storm, a last minute call may still mean you are out of luck.
“When there’s a named storm coming up, a majority of carriers will suspend coverage until after that storm is passed and then they’ll allow it. They don’t want people just running out to get insurance just because a storm is coming up,” Belden adds.
Some communities in western Mass. are required by mortgage lenders to have flood insurance. “Around the Connecticut River area, River Road in Agawam, some other places in Springfield, a couple of lakes in Westfield,” says Belden.
If you don’t have coverage now to rely on for any damage that may come our way in the next few days, it doesnt mean you shouldn’t call your insurance company for future peace of mind.

via wggb.com