Wind Driven Waters?

Insurance, especially in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, is a very complicated subject due to amount of legalese that they all contain, so this is my take on things.

Before I do start, let me just remind everyone that I am not an attorney and nothing I say here should be considered legal advice. For truly legal questions, you should consult with your own personal attorney.

Our parish officials have stated from the beginning that the waters were caused by wind driven rain and they have not backed off of this statement one bit. It has dropped off the radar due to other issues that have cropped up in its place.

The main problem is proven whether or not the water was pushed by wind or not. Although not many people stayed behind for the hurricane, a few did and there are rumors of a video that was taken during the storm that shows not only damage dones by the high winds before any rains came, but also of the storm surge from the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (you can see a picture at the bottom of this page.

As for your Loss of Use coverage, that depends upon your specific policy. If you don't have a copy of your homeowners policy, contact your insurance company and your agent for another copy (be safe and compare the two to be sure they are the same). Also, call your mortgage company and request a copy, although they will probably only have the declaration page which lists the amount of coverage you have and not the fine print.

If you feel like you are not getting anywhere with your insurance company, you can file a complaint with the Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance. His web site, which lists his phone number and also has an online entry form to file a complaint.
http://www.ldi.state.la.us/