WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — If you have wind or flood damage from the storm that rolled through South Florida overnight Wednesday, you might be wondering if, or when, you should file an insurance claim.
Stacey Giulianti, co-founder of Florida Peninsula Insurance Company in Boca Raton, told WPTV the best rule of thumb is to always file a claim if you have a real indication that the damage is going to succeed your deductible.
He said you should file the claim as soon as the storm passes, but you need to make sure you know what company your policy is with.
"It's important to know, you might have two different insurance companies," Giulianti said. "You may need to report it to your wind carrier, which is your regular homeowners insurance company, but you'll also want to report it to your flood carrier and that could be a separate carrier."
Giulianti said just one inch of water could trigger up to $25,000 in damages. So if you don't have flood coverage, he suggests homeowners consider it.