Hurricane Ike Hero

I received a wonderful note from a gentlemen named Andy Coats. Andy has been working with volunteers on hurricane disaster relief since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. His blog, The Missionlog at http://www.missionlog.wordpress.com/, is an extraordinary narrative and visual account of Hurricane Ike’s devastation. Andy reports that the devastation in coastal Texas is very severe — equal and sometimes worse than the damage from Katrina in New Orleans.

Overshadowed by the election and economic meltdown, it is easy to forget about the horrible destruction in this part of the county. Disaster recovery can be a very long-term endeavor (in my case it took a year-and-a-half to completely rebuild my home). Andy’s blog provides a wealth of information about how you can help.

Preparing for Home Disasters

Our hearts go out to the thousands of Hurricane Gustav, Hurricane Ike and Tropical Storm Fay victims. As we keep them in our thoughts, it is also a good time to remind ourselves that water damage can happen to anyone at anytime.  I am living proof.

There are a number of things I wish I had done to prepare myself to handle my own disaster recovery experience before the accident happened. I hope to make things easier for the next homeowner by sharing them in this post.

Insurance and Home Repair Help for Tropical Storm Fay/Gustav Victims

I am actively involved in travels to assist tropical storm and hurricane victims. If you know of any community groups that would benefit from insurance claim and/or home repair advice, please post a comment here or write me directly at harvardtohardhat@gmail.com.

A Message for Tropical Storm Fay/Gustav Victims

I’ve been there. I lost my home and almost all of my personal belongings to a flood back in 2006. I wanted to share three tips that helped me get through the initial phase of the experience. 1) Take photos of everything. Once clean-up crews arrive, the damage may appear less severe to insurance adjusters. You will want great images to help negotiate your insurance settlement. 2) Network now for contractor referrals. If you choose not to use you insurance company’s contractor, you will need to interview several candidates in order to find someone reliable (more advice on gathering contractor referrals appears below). 3) Call your friends and ask them if they know anyone in the insurance business. Talking to “experts” will give you invaluable insider advice for negotiating your claim. (Also see the “Ten Tips for Managing the Inevitable Insurance Claim” article on this site for more insurance advice).

Above all, keep