When, and who is responsible for Louisiana switching from fixed, negotiated deductibles to a percentage of the value of the property, which I think is 2%? If your house is "valued" at $200K your deductible is $4,000. My insurance company, USAA, claims it's not their fault, they have to follow state laws. Before you could choose a deductible amount...like you can for auto...and opt to pay more in premiums for lower deductibles, or vice versa.
I have a 500.00 deductible with the Hartford on my homeowners. I do have car and flood insurance with them.
Informed of a five digit deductible from State Farm...just going to try to sleep on that a night or two before we even approach it...
Got some more ice today. La Air Nat’l Guard putting in some good work.
Shit’s bad, y’all.
Correct -
There is an option - I paid a little higher annual premium to get a more manageable deductible with a named storm - instead of the escalator clause that can be as much as 10% of insured value
The supposed thought behind this bill in 2009 was that a FEMA "A" declaration would be in effect in those areas drastically hit with the most damage which would help to offset most of the costs
Since this thing was a CAT 1 far into north LA and a TS well into southern Ark - basically any homeowner who had a claim will be hit with this
''Don't be a bad dagh..."
FIVE-digit deductible!? Thought I had issues with my four-digit ones.
Been on the phone with USAA and most likely, unless I have worse roof damage at a couple of my houses than I think I do, they won't help one iota. I'm guessing my out-of-pocket expenses will easily top $12,000 having trees removed, fences rebuilt and some minor repairs made. Yes, I can afford it...although my sister called me yesterday offering to send me a check if I needed the money. She is so sweet to offer.
Truthfully, my property insurance is really only "good" if a house is totally obliterated. Then the policy would be awesome! But I don't want to have to lose a house just so the insurance company will have to actually perform.
Power is being slowly restored in Natchitoches Parish. There have been a few accidents, such as a power company bucket truck snagging a power line and ripping it down not an hour after another crew had just restored power to some isolated houses. The FB comments from one of those folks, an old friend Amelia...just an aside here, she is one of the prettiest women I have ever seen, gorgeous! Anyway she also has a sense of humor saying they got spoiled with their 57 minutes of power....
I have not seen a real, coordinated effort in the parish to bring the relief efforts under one umbrella. Ms. Mary Jones is the director of the Office of Emergency Services, Homeland Security. The best I can determine she has hunkered down in her a/c (has a generator, but now power restored) office and sent out emails to various entities. Mostly the parish government, President John Richmond and the parish council has coordinated with the National Guard, and the power companies have been operating independently repairing their own lines, etc... the new mayor of the city has been visible with his announcements but has offered very little in the way of real leadership. Of course, he was just sworn in last week and has ZERO management experience of any kind.
Below us, Vernon, Allen, Rapides, Beauregard parishes were hit harder.
In my 14+ years of public servant life as a Parish Administrator - one thing I have learned is you have to have strong leadership at the top in a natural disaster
Parish President
Sheriff
OEP Director
And all three have to be on the same page - and have to active, visible and workers - they cannot bunker down
The leadership of the towns and villages have to be accept their role below them and realize if EVERYONE is on the same page - it's better for everyone and help and be administered efficiently and quicker to all parties affected by the catastrophe
The restoration POWER and WATER are our two main areas we concentrate in (we try our dead level best to work with our co-op and Entergy to give them any assistance they need or desire) - because we figure it we can get those situated we can handled anything else
As bad as it was in our neck of the woods dealing with only 17,000 people (removed over 3,000+ trees just off of our parish road system not counting what we did on state hwys (Homer init of DOTD was non-existent until Friday) and inside the towns and villages - I cannot imagine the devastation in the SW La areas
''Don't be a bad dagh..."
Another thing that I am certain about with this storm is that the vast majority of the general populace North of Alexandria did not take this storm serious -
No typical Hurricane runs that you usually see on necessary supplies -
We started putting out blasts on our Parish FB page monday to get prepared and ramped them up as it progressed -
Still as late as Wednesday afternoon most of the folks felt it would be no more than a little wind and maybe some rain
''Don't be a bad dagh..."
Yep, a friend who lives near Coushatta...rural homeplace...posted he has a new respect for folks who live in South Louisiana and deal with hurricanes on a regular basis. Our parish president is referring to this as "Natchitoches' wake up call" and that folks 'round here won't take future hurricane warnings so lightly. I was in Colorado...when Laura was still below Cuba and her route uncertain...and I was on the phone and texting to all my renters, and to contractors to be on call and stand-by. I had trees fall on renters' cars and said trees were removed, gone, Friday morning. Our house sitter had ice and ice chests ready and we had removed, taken down objects, like hanging potted plants, that could turn into missiles in such a storm. Sadly, I was 1,200 miles away and still more prepared than most folks 'round here.
But then, I have lived thru hurricanes before.
I don't know about your area, but they seemed to here in Bossier. There were lots of empty shelves and lots of people in the stores. Thankfully this area was spared, but I have never seen anything like the devastation everywhere. I am from Grant Parish and we lost probably 35-40% of our pecan trees. My parents had no power until last night, and they are some of the first to get it. I believe 75% of the people still don't have it. It will take the Parish many months to clean up, but the impact will take years. In a location that literally has a Pecan Festival annually, the crop will be nothing this year, and will be impacted for the next 10 until they can get a new productive tree to replace what was lost. It is similar all around. People will remember Laura for a very long time!