Help, all my belongings are getting wet from Rita

[Daralundy]

How would we know? Phone your insurance adjuster.

[JennysCool]

I can't tell you how sorry I am for your losses. I'm no expert in anything -- and certainly not insurance -- but I think if I was in your shoes I would just consider the place a total loss and go on from there. In any case, I'm sending up a prayer for you and yours. Hang in there, FRiend.

[fabriclady]

I don't have an answer to your question. I am asking God to bless you with wisdom and take care of you. I pray you have a safe and dry place to stay. God Bless You

[Spruce]

You did have the flood rider on your insurance, I hope?

[bitt]

if her shingles blew off and then the roof, I would guess she doesn't need the flood rider....

[Ramtek57]

Well, I am not in a flood zone so I didn't have to buy flood insurance, so I didn't buy it. But the house technically didn't flood. It is water damage from rain thru the leaky roof.

[Repub4bush]

If your house was damaged by hurricane only and not due to flood, and your homeowners insurance doesn't have a hurricane waiver, then I would not touch a thing (except for pictures, and personal items) and call the insurance co. While I am sure it is painful, wanting to do something. It is best to leave it undisturbed until you call the insurance co.

Best of luck to you! I hope you get answers soon from them!

will keep you in my prayers, as I am all the victims of Rita and Katrina.

[fatima]

Glad you made it through everything.Call an insurance adjuster and they will help you.Prayers.

[Billthedrill]

Get pictures. Lots of pictures. Some insurance policies have "act of God" riders that absolve them of payoff in similar circumstances but in any case you're going to have to prove your loss. High-value items (stereos, TVs) have serial numbers that the insurance company is going to want.

Best wishes to you and hang in there - you have a whole country behind you.

[Spruce]

Sounds, to me at least, that FReeper bitt is right. Since your damages can be classified as 'non-flood related', you probably have a solid claim for ALL your destroyed property. They will want an inventory, of course.

Please keep yourself safe. No objects are worth dieing for. If they energize the powerlines in your area while you are in the wrong spot...Bang-zoom! To heaven you go. Be careful.

May God be with you.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

If you cannot access the structure to make temporary rudimentary roof repairs as per policy contract, insurance company may not be able to enforce the clause that you must do so to prevent further interior damage once storm passes.

Have you checked in with your insurance or local agent. (likely a silly question with magnitude of the disaster)

[WriterInTX]

ONLY if it is safe for you to return to the house, should you try to salvage anything. Depending upon the type of water, this could be considered "grey" or contaminated water...in which case, your stuff is shot.

Rain water is typically clean water, and a good cleaning and decontamination will help restore it.

Any effort that you make to mitigate your loss, by getting stuff out of harm's way or getting things dried out, will go a long way with your insurance company. You need to speak with your AGENT, ASAP. They have a copy of your policy and can tell you what's in it (presuming that their offices are intact).

PRAY you have water damage coverage (we had a flood here which thankfully was covered - neighborhood kid played SS Titanic in our master bath and flooded 2/3s of my house). Most homeowners' policies DO NOT cover flood insurance or acts of God (although some policies do cover for tornado damage). If your insurance doesn't cover this, then you must turn your attention to the government for help. Believe me, what they will pay you is significantly less than what your insurance will cover, so anything you can save is one less thing you will have to replace.

God bless, and good luck!

[fatima]

Many freepers know and care you are not we-you are not us.

[CindyDawg]

JMO that you are probably covered but, and it's not going to help you this time , I recommend getting flood insurance after you re-build. I also got water damage from a storm (years back). At first the insurance company tried to deny as flood but when they saw the roof damage they paid. After that, even though my agent tells me it's not really necessary I buy it. It's not expensive and I don't have to worry about hassels of flood or storm damage. Praying for you

[lastchance]

You should contact the City and see if they are taking part in the Army Corps of Engineer's Blue Tarp program. These roof tarps are commercial grade and do an excellent job of protecting from further water damage.
As for letting your possessions get destroyed. Only you know their true as well as sentimental value. But it is usually best to save what you can. Restoration is always more expensive than you think it will be. So you might not have the money to replace them.

[MrsEmmaPeel]

How were you able to post your question without electricity?

[Ramtek57]

I am a refugee living temporarily in Houston at a RV park that has wifi.

[VeniVidiVici]

Salvage the keepsakes. You won't get new furniture unless you are covered for replacement value. But check your policy or call your agent to be sure.

As others have said you are expected to try and do what you can to minimize damage. In Florida, FEMA ended up giving out massive numbers of blue tarps for roofs. You all aren't even close to that stage.

It all takes awhile so settle in for the long haul. Once the city, and neighbors, managed to clear trees from roads, we could venture out and hunt for ice. Also, the power crews try to do the least amount of work to turn on power to the most amount of people, so the more rural among you will probably end up waiting a great while.

Some folks here waited weeks for power.

[c-b 1]

Your homeowners insurance should cover your loss up to the limit. If the wind blew the shingles off, and rain came throught the roof it would be storm damage which would be covered.