Got storm damage? Insurance agent has tips for filing those claims

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- The clean-up from the storm is well underway and now many folks with damage are navigating filing claims with their insurance.

Determining what is covered and what's not can be tricky. If you suffered any kind of damage, get in touch with your insurance agent.

"Every insurance policy is different, and so people have different deductibles, different coverages within their policy," said Durham State Farm agent James Zewe. "People want to make sure that they contact their agent to review and understand their specific coverage in any loss."

Zewe says if your home suffered any damage, don't wait to take action.

"First thing to do is take pictures, document everything that was there. But if there is a hole in the roof and we can reasonably and safely get a tarp up there to stop future loss, or if there is a broken window and there is another storm coming, if we can get that boarded and prevent future loss, it is the responsibility of the homeowner to prevent any future loss," Zewe added.

When it comes to damage that happened because of trees coming down, Zewe said, "It doesn't matter whose tree it is, if it's your tree, or your neighbor's tree, if your property has been impacted, that's why you have homeowner's insurance. So it's not something that your neighbor would be responsible for and vice versa if your tree fell on my house, you're not responsible for that an act of God weather-related circumstance. So my homeowner's policy is going to cover that tree."

Another big question around trees is normally around the removal of those trees.

"So if a tree does fall and impact your house, your fence, the deck, any physical structure, of your house or is impeding the way in and out, the entrance or egress of your house, there is coverage to have that tree removed from the property. If a tree just falls into the backyard, no property was impacted, and no entrance in egress is affected, that's not going to be something that you would want to file," Zewe said.

The downed trees brought down power lines and caused widespread outages for thousands of customers, many of whom suffered food loss. Most policies do have coverage for that, but whether you file a claim or not is something you can talk to your agent about.

"The deductible with that is usually a little bit different than a traditional deductible on the home; the coverage can be anywhere between $200 to $500, but again, every policy is specific and unique," Zewe said. "So check with your agent, is it justifiable to file that claim for your record."

If you had extensive damage, the next step is hiring a contractor. Of course, don't rush into any repairs, do your research, and get everything in writing to make sure you're protecting your money.