2007 Wildfires: Losing Their Homes Changed Their Lives
2007 Wildfires: Losing Their Homes Changed Their Lives

The wildfires that tore through San Diego County 10 years ago this week destroyed an estimated 1,600 homes. Two couples who lost everything when their homes burned to the ground talk about how the experience changed them. Bobby Lofton was at home with his wife,…
Napa, Sonoma ‘insurance villages’ help with fire claims
Napa, Sonoma ‘insurance villages’ help with fire claims

For those evacuated during the wildfires, as well as others who discovered that homes and vehicles were destroyed, their first thought after ensuring the safety of family members was how to pay for lodging and out of pocket expenses in the wake of this disaster.…
Wildfire Q&A: 12 Consumer Questions Answered
Wildfire Q&A: 12 Consumer Questions Answered

Q: My home is gone. May I stop making mortgage payments? A: Maybe, but not forever. Definitely contact your lender now — and, ideally, before your next payment is due. You can request a pause. It’s possible you’ll hear the term “forbearance agreement.” That’s bank…
Oakland hills firestorm survivors to North Bay: ‘You’re not alone’
Oakland hills firestorm survivors to North Bay: ‘You’re not alone’

OAKLAND — Except for the mailbox, there was nothing to identify the home Risa Nye had known for the past seven years. Blackened box springs and the skeletal remains of appliances protruded from the still smoldering rubble, even though the fire had been extinguished two…
Fire victims who lost homes face insurance challenges
Fire victims who lost homes face insurance challenges

State Farm insurance agent Miguel Alfaro has taken hundreds of client calls since Monday from those who have lost so much in the region’s massive wildfires. Some are concerned that they may be underinsured. Some have smoke damage in their homes. Some lost their cars.…
What you need to know when filing an insurance claim from the Sonoma County fires
What you need to know when filing an insurance claim from the Sonoma County fires

State Farm insurance agent Miguel Alfaro has taken hundreds of client calls since Monday from those who have lost so much in the region’s massive wildfires. Some are concerned that they may be underinsured. Some have smoke damage in their homes. Some lost their cars.…
A wildfire burned your home; here’s what you do next
A wildfire burned your home; here’s what you do next

5 tips to start rebuilding your home after a wildfire. While thousands of people are still evacuated, hundred have returned to their neighborhoods and found their homes in ruin. For those who lost their homes in the wildfires, there is a long road ahead as…
Amid Wildfire Destruction, Report Reveals Most US Homes Underinsured
Amid Wildfire Destruction, Report Reveals Most US Homes Underinsured

As catastrophic wildfires incinerate homes and prompt evacuations across Northern California, an unsettling report has revealed that a majority of American homes are underinsured. According to data company CoreLogic, roughly 60 percent of homes are underinsured by an average of about 20 percent. In San…
As California burns, here’s what you need to know about fire insurance
As California burns, here’s what you need to know about fire insurance

Most homeowners insurance policies cover fire damage. But heads-up: That’s not the whole story. If you live in a high-risk area, such as near a canyon, you may need to pay more for additional coverage. And if, God forbid, a fire has devastated whole communities,…
California Today: Now Comes the Insurance Challenge
California Today: Now Comes the Insurance Challenge

New York Times – Hundreds of anguished Californians who lost their homes in an outbreak of wildfires this week now get to face another burden: dealing with insurers. Some are almost certain to experience a rude awakening. Roughly 60 percent of American homes are underinsured…
Survivors Speak: The bottom line on recovering from a disaster
Survivors Speak: The bottom line on recovering from a disaster

Part of the “Survivors Speak” Tip Series If you have insurance – home, flood, and/or auto – and you have had damage, then before you clean or clear or change anything, consider first 1) photographing/videotaping things as you found them, and 2) sending an email to…
Why Puerto Rico faces a monumental recovery effort
Why Puerto Rico faces a monumental recovery effort

USA TODAY – Almost a week after Hurricane Maria pounded its way across Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 155 mph, the outlook for anything but a long and arduous recovery is bleak. FEMA reported Tuesday that only 11 of…
Local insurance agents busy with Irma claims from WNYers in Florida
Local insurance agents busy with Irma claims from WNYers in Florida

BUFFALO, N.Y. WIVB)- Millions of dollars are at stake as homeowners from Texas and Florida submit insurance claims to help cover the damage caused by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. For the Vice President of Personal Insurance at Key Insurance and Benefits Services, this means a…
Collecting insurance benefits for a hurricane-damaged car
Collecting insurance benefits for a hurricane-damaged car

Hurricane Harvey (2017) damaged as many as 500,000 vehicles in the Houston area alone, according to preliminary estimates.  This number is much higher than Superstorm Sandy (2013) or Hurricane Katrina (2005). Hurricane Irma (2017) damaged an additional 1 million vehicles across the southeast, including Florida where it hit hardest. If…
7 Habits of Highly Effective Roadmap to Recovery Volunteers*
7 Habits of Highly Effective Roadmap to Recovery Volunteers*

Thank you Board member Jennifer Rosdail for distributing Roadmap to Recovery Guides to Hurricane Harvey Victims in Texas and being a highly effective UP volunteer.  Jennifer is pictured here doing relief work in the Lone Star State this week with a KW Cares team member and son…
10 tips for dealing with hurricane damage to your home
10 tips for dealing with hurricane damage to your home

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — If you have damage in your home due to a hurricane, there are several things you need to know: 1. If you have flood insurance, you must notify your insurance provider within 60 days of the flood damage. The National Flood Insurance…
11 Tips on dealing with your insurance company
11 Tips on dealing with your insurance company

If you have damage in your home due to Harvey, there are several things you need to know. 1. If you have flood insurance, you must notify your insurance provider within 60 days of the flood damage. The National Flood Insurance Program has a step…
Insurers ache for qualified inspectors after US hurricanes
Insurers ache for qualified inspectors after US hurricanes

Insurers are scrambling to find inspectors in Texas and Florida after fierce hurricanes battered the states one after the other, causing tens of billions of dollars’ worth of property damage in less than two weeks. Although insurers maintain some number of inspectors, known as claims…