PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Homeowners in the Tampa Bay Area will be cleaning up after Hurricane Idalia for weeks: ripping out drywall, repairing roofs, and getting their homes back in order. But, of course, hurricane season isn’t over yet.
"We had about nine inches of water in the house, so pretty much all the appliances are gone,” said David Flanagan.
Flanagan has lived in the Shore Acres neighborhood for 32 years, and flooding after storms is a problem he’s unfortunately become used to.
He had contractors on site Tuesday, just days after last week’s hurricane.
"I can't wait until the end of November to do the repairs because the house is not very pleasant to live in otherwise, so we just do what the insurance company says and make the repairs accordingly,” said Flanagan.
Pat Flaherty, Flanagan’s neighbor, is tackling similar issues.
“Over here is most of our drywall and our flooring that got removed over the last three days,” said Flaherty. "We want to get our house back to where we like it, and then we'll prepare for the next storm if and when it comes."
Many in the area are in the same boat: drive down several Shore Acres streets, and you’ll find pile after pile of debris and furniture.
"If you've suffered water damage to your home from Hurricane Idalia, most likely it'll be considered flood damage; you need to have flood insurance in order to have insurance protection from that type of loss,” said Mark Friedlander, the Florida spokesperson for the Insurance Information Institute.
Friedlander said if you suffered any damage to your home from Hurricane Idalia, file the claim with your insurance carrier or agent ASAP.
"Get the process moving so that it is clearly documented that you suffered a loss on this date because of Hurricane Idalia, and you could prove in the future you had this loss when another storm also caused damage to your home,” said Friedlander.
Friedlander wants to remind people that each storm is a separate claim event, so it’s important to document the loss you’ve sustained right now.
Bottom line: don’t wait.
"It's really important to have this document, number one, with all of the claim-related documentation you'll get from your insurance company after filing the claim, and then have your own visual documentation,” said Friedlander.
Homeowners in this neighborhood will continue to rebuild while preparing for what’s to come.
"Tackle it one day at a time,” said Flanagan.
