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Where you ready for Uri? Insurance lessons learned from a winter storm

What began as a fun snow day for the kids, and adults alike, turned into something no one imagined. Hours into our exciting snow day, the lights go out.

We had already lost power! With minimal internet connection still available, we read that these were controlled black outs, which gave us a sense that we would soon get our electricity and much needed heat back. 

The storm took us by surprise

Fast forward 48 hours after initially losing power, our fun snow day was turning into a winter nightmare as we were still without electricity, and now without water because the pipes and water had frozen.

I was personally lucky, because even though my house was without electricity and water, my sister lives only a few minutes away and she has a fireplace, and she never lost her water.

We ended up getting back electricity to our house after about 50 hours or so.  It felt great to thaw out!  My office also got its power back by Wednesday afternoon, and with internet up, I went into my office knowing I’d have a lot of concerned customers.

Like so many in southern Texas, so many of our customers had major home damage due to frozen pipes.  Some walked into their homes to see collapsed ceilings, insulation, and debris all over their home.  I’ve had countless teary conversations with customers who have lost so much.

First talk to your insurance agent

This is the time when you need your agent the most.  Although, I am not an adjuster or plumber, customers were looking to me for advice like discussing their deductibles and what claim process entails (many of them never having to file a homeowner claim before). 

Although, some things are different from company to company, most will be flexible during a catastrophe like this.  What does that mean?  They understand that getting you back to a “normal living situation” as soon as possible is what is most important.

If you need to get your plumbing fixed before your adjuster can come, see you, you are able to do so, if you have taken pictures/video and have kept the broken frozen pipes and receipts.  You want to mitigate against further damage.  So, any mitigating against damage is not only accepted by most insurance companies, but also encouraged.

What to consider before filing a claim?

Know your deductible.  That’s the amount you are responsible to pay before the insurance company pays.  So, if you have a small amount of damage, and you don’t think it will exceed your deductible, it’s best to wait to talk to your agent before filing.  

The reason I recommend waiting is because most policies have a claim free discount, which you could lose if you file a claim (even if that claim is closed with $0 paid).

Ultimately, your agent is the person you want to talk to whenever you have any questions or concerns.  As soon as I got back into my office, I started calling back all my customers that had already left me messages.

I understand that this is the time you need the advice of your agent the most.  Give your agent time to get back to you.  With so many affected in the area, they might not be able to call you back right away (as I wasn’t), but just like I did, I’m sure they will call you back as fast as they can!

Most southern Texans are experts at preparing for a Hurricane but some of us – myself included- missed the mark when preparing for this winter storm.  

Lessons I learned from my neighbors

I want to share a few things learned from people who didn’t have any damage. My neighbor for example, told me that her husband decided to shut off the main water line on Monday (the first day of the storm), realizing that things would get worst, and drained all the lines.

They didn’t turn the water back on till Thursday once the freezing temperatures were gone. That seemed to work for them as they had no damage.

Also, having foam blown insulation in the attic, seemed to protect the plumbing much better than traditional insulation.

Mostly I was reminded not to underestimate any storms! Of course, Hindsight is always 20/20 but these are some good takes away for a future winter storm though we hope we don’t see one of those a long time. 

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Katleen Huybrechts Muñiz  

Insurance Agent

Maximum Insurance Solutions Group

Katy, Texas