Don't get me preaching.

the american insurance industry has been successful in tying the court system in knots for decades [not years] with ligitation over the definitions of rising water, flooding, storm whatever.

If you bought flood coverage you age covered. You may never be covered again, because flood coverage is underwritten by FEMA.

If you have 'hurricane' coverage, that is not well defined under Texas law, at least. You have to look to the policy, and the construction the the courts have placed upon the unsurance contract.

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC POLICY PROVISION THAT SAYS 'HURRICAINE'?

There's no point to trying to shelter in place when the place is likely to fall down and fill with water. Get out. If the storm isn't as bad as expected, you can always go back.

Re: Insurance. An ins. agent friend of mine once pointed out that the insurance companies are in the premium-collecting business, NOT the claim-paying business. They only pay because they have to. BTW, I read somewhere that the insurance companies are trying to get the Bad Faith laws (the ones that force them to abide by their own agreements) overturned. <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Sue

Damn well said.

Don't forget to have a chainsaw, battery operated saw, or an axe, crowbar or whatever in your home survival kit to allow access to the roof, when your house is flooded, after not heeding the warnings to evacuate!


ONE DAY CLOSER

It will be sad to see people that drown in their attics because they went up there with no way of breaking out to the roof. The death toll will likely be in the low to mid three figures on this one.

Well-stocked BOB, a full tank of gas and the sense to evac early?

I'll emphasize what others have mentioned – make sure you have plenty of cash.

My wife works in a regional call center for one of the country's largest credit card issuers. She's spent all day handling non-stop calls from corporate offices seeking help on behalf of employee cardholders trying to use their cards in the stricken areas. Some businesses – hotels, gas stations etc – are refusing to take credit card transactions because, without phone service, they can't obtain automated charge authorizations from credit card issuers.

As we used to say in the banking business: "Cash is king."

My wife works in HR and has been helping with payroll because payroll is in disastor mode and tomorrow is a payday. Seems in LA only 12% of their employees use direct deposit so the other 88% are unable to get their checks since they have nowhere to mail them to.