Tropical Storm Nicholas made landfall Tuesday morning at Matagorda, Texas -70 miles from where Hurricane Harvey made landfall in 2017. USA Today reported that “ Matagorda, was quickly awash in storm surge and flooding as Nicholas rolled in.”
The rain from the outer bands of the storm actually started giving the region problems on Tuesday evening, as observers reported active water leaks from various commercial rooftops on properties (retail shopping centers, grocery stores, office buildings, multifamily complexes, warehouses, and churches). One commercial roofer in the region stated that “This type of weather event will always put your roof to the extreme test.”
USA Today also reports that more than 510,000 Texas homes and businesses were without power Tuesday morning, most in and around the Houston metropolitan area. USA Today goes on to say that Nicholas is expected to produce additional rainfall of 5-10 inches from the upper Texas coastal area into central to southern Louisiana, far southern Mississippi and far southern Alabama. Isolated totals could reach 20 inches, forecasters said.
This Storm is now heavily impacting much of Louisiana - including New Orleans, which was recently battered heavily by Hurricane Ida ( less than two weeks ago). This is a double blow to The Big Easy, as many properties ( both commercial and residential) still have exposed damage from Ida, as insurance adjusters struggle to keep up with all of the claims ( with continued power outage from Ida as well as new outages from Nicholas).
USA Today also states that “ Homes are already damaged, people are displaced, and storm debris could be blocking drainage systems, causing rainwater to accumulate more quickly than normal, which could enhance the flooding threat.” No doubt there there will be claims on top of claims. This situation is reminiscent to the twin hurricanes (Laura and Delta) that impacted parts of south east Texas and Louisiana back in 2020
With the amount of existing storm damage from Ida and new storm damage from Nicholas, there will certainly be some complexities to navigate in the claims process. To that extent, always remember the following:
Every insurance carrier has a claims department that you can reach out to, in order to file a claim. To find the claims department phone number, simply google claims department for your insurance company.
Always document your damages with ; pictures, video, and notes on damaged areas of your property.
Keep notes regarding the timing of your claim, (when the adjuster comes out to visit the property etc..).
Keep all documents sent to you from the insurance company regarding your claim including: first notice of claim, position statement, adjuster’s summary/scope of repairs, any engineer reports, and copies of checks (including letters that might have accompanied those checks ).
Keep a full copy of your insurance policy on hand. If you do not have a full copy, request one be sent to you from your agent or insurance carrier. Note: a full copy will have your individual policy # on it, along with the property address, and usually be 40-100 pages in length.
Do your best to mitigate damages, and keep records/receipts of all monies spent on mitigation.
Contact a good policyholder attorney if your insurance carrier denies, delays, or underpays your claim, or if you have questions prior to filing your claim.
The Voss Law Firm, P.C. has been protecting policyholders’ rights for the past sixteen years, recovering billions of dollars in settlements for our clients.
Feel free to call, or email today for a free consultation on your file.
We are 100% contingency fee based. No recovery, no fee.
Todd Farr- Director of Client Relations: 832-278-9378
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