The October 31 edition of the Hartford Courant (www.courant.com) had two insurance-related stories on the aftermath of Sandy. One notes that Sandy did not have hurricane-force winds in Connecticut. As a result, homeowners filing insurance claims will not have to face much more expensive deductibles.
In many coastal state, insurers are allowed to charge higher deductibles during a hurricane compared with some other natural disaster. The "hurricane deductible" is typically 1% to 5% of a home's value, compared to a standard deductible of $500 or $1,000. A law passed by the General Assembly last year after Tropical Storm Irene allows insurers to only require their customers to pay higher “hurricane deductibles” if the National Weather Service declares a hurricane and there are recorded sustained winds 74 miles per hour or more, anywhere in the state. Connecticut had gusts stronger than that, but not sustained winds.
The article recommends that people who have problems with their insurers contact the Connecticut Insurance Department's consumer affairs unit at 800-203-3447 www.ct.gov/cid
The second article describes the types of losses covered by flood insurance, such as the building itself, electrical, heating, and cooling systems, and debris removal; as well as losses that are not covered, such as property outside of the building, vehicles, and temporary housing expenses. The information is taken from a Federal Emergency Management Administration website, FloodSmart.gov.
