NEW ORLEANS — Hurricane Barry has left Louisiana, but caused damage to Southeast Louisiana even before making landfall Saturday.
Barry brought heavy rain that overtopped levees and flooded some homes and cars. The storm's strong winds also knocked down trees and blew over power lines causing outages to more than 200,000 people across Louisiana.
If your property was damaged, the Louisiana Department of Insurance has a list of steps you should take to file a claim after the storm.
The first thing you should do is to call your insurance company as soon as you can. Next, you will want to take pictures of any damage you received in the storm. You will also want to make any temporary repairs to prevent further damage. Keep records of these repairs for any possible reimbursement.
Keep any receipts related to storm damage. According to the Louisiana Department of Insurance, most home insurance policies will cover the cost of temporary housing if your home is unlivable due to storm damage.
Something to keep in mind, make sure you have flood insurance. According to the Department of Insurance, most home insurance policies do not cover flooding. Flood insurance is usually a policy you have to purchase separately.
If you don’t have flood insurance, check with your insurance company to look for any other possible reimbursement. For instance, some insurance policies will cover the cost of spoiled food due to storm-related power outages.
Storm-damage to your car may also be covered by your auto insurance policy.
If a tree damaged your home, repairs to your home should be covered. However, check the policy to find out what else you’re covered for. Your policy may cover the removal of the tree.
Visit the Louisiana Department of Insurance's website.
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WWL-TV reporter Meghan Kee can be reached at mkee@wwltv.com;