Be sure you have all the protection you need before the storm comes.

June 1st brought the first day of hurricane season in Florida and runs through Nov 30th.

While your insurance policy doesn’t sound like the most fun thing to read by the pool, it is something you need to find and read now when it doesn’t matter versus the day after a storm hits.

Review your coverages with your insurance agent and be sure you understand what all the language means. What is your deductible? Is your policy up-to-date?

We’ve had a lot of new people move to the sunshine state and some of you may think flood damage is covered by your hurricane policy not so. Flood insurance only covers floods and there is a 30-day waiting period to get coverage so the time to bind is now, not later if you don’t have it. One caveat is if your home is new construction then there is no waiting period. For more information, please visit Fema.com

Once storms begin you cannot procure coverage if there is a named storm so be sure you have all the protection you need now.

Sound drastic? Well, it is. That’s because storms of a certain strength and size can be so devastating. For instance, Hurricane Ian’s destruction was so great, the name was retired forever from the list of names to be used annually. It was the deadliest storm in over 85 years and caused $12 billion in damage which made it the costliest in our state’s history and the third costliest in the entire United States according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

But don’t be fooled. It doesn’t have to be a category four in order to disrupt life as you know it. As little as an inch of water in your home can do $25,000 worth of damage or more.

Keep videos or lists of valuables, along with copies of your insurance policy in a fireproof/waterproof safe. I got mine through Amazon. See Fireproof and Waterproof Bag. Another great idea is to scan your important documents in a secure location so they are readily available and be sure to share them and any passwords with your family.