PREPARING A HOME INVENTORY BEFORE STORM SEASON EASES THE PATH TO FASTER CLAIM SETTLEMENTS By Nancy Germond The National Weather Service cited an article recently that found that tornado frequency may be increasing in the U.S. Previously, insurers referred to “Tornado Alley," – the Great Plains. Today, this new study finds that the “Dixie Alley" – Mississippi through Tennessee and Kentucky, including southern Indiana, may be the new tornado hotspots. No matter where your insureds live, many hazards lurk – floods, wildfires, tornados, hurricanes, and home burglaries. A home inventory can help your insureds after a loss, when they are often least equipped to be thinking logically.
When it looks like rain
Devastating storm damage or a fire can lock your insureds out of their homes, sometimes for months. One of my agent friends had a small kitchen fire when his daughter decided to cook tacos for the family. When I asked him what had happened, he replied glumly, “She's trying to kill us!" They were out of their home for more than nine months. Relocating after a storm, even temporarily, brings many problems, including finding lodging that allows family pets. The last thing your insured needs after a major storm or fire loss is the preparation of a home inventory, yet that is exactly what they will face.
