Louisiana Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
Although it has been half a decade since the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, the dangers Louisiana residents face from both unruly weather and their insurance providers are far from over. A new study released Monday reveals that New Orleans is one of the gulf cities most at risk for hurricane related damage. The study, available here, also reveals that the damage done by Katrina was primarily attributable to storm surges.
A “storm surge” is simply the rise of water caused by a storm. Storm surge damage refers to the harms caused by the flooding that results from this rise of water. This type of damage is distinct from the wind damage that may also be associated with a massive storm. The difference between flood damage and wind damage is important for a few reasons.
Primarily, the difference is important to insurance providers and their willingness to cover a claim in the event of damage to a home or property. Oftentimes general home insurance traditionally does not cover flood damage. As a result, separate insurance to protect against flood damage commonly must be retained by a home owner in order to cover storm surge damage. This is important because when a catastrophic storm hits there is no way of knowing what specific aspect of the storm will cause the eventual damage to a property or home. If a homeowner has failed to secure flood insurance they must prove that the damage their home suffered was as a result of wind (and not the storm surge) to recover under their insurance policy.