With Harvey gone, expect to pay more for insurance – and maybe have higher out-of-pocket expenses the next time a storm hits.
That's the warning from adjusters and other professionals who have seen insurers charge more and cover less, after past storms.
It may mean more than just higher premiums ... but also new, special terms for wind damage that limit the insurance company's exposure and leave you with a bigger share of the repairs.
Insurance expert Loy Vickers says to read new statements from your insurer about coverage and cost. He also warns of a new surprise for many – a requirement to carry flood insurance on a house they never thought would flood “and might never flood again.”
A flood insurance requirement would add a new up-front expense as homeowners check for changes in their existing coverage.
It's happened to homeowners after nearly every major disaster the past decade: higher premiums and new conditions about coverage from their insurance company.
Vickers, a longtime adjuster who has helped homeowners through numerous hurricanes, tells Newsradio 740 KTRH that efforts to charge more, and cover less, have enjoyed regular approval by state regulators in recent years. There have been some 4,000 policy changes put forth, he says, and less than a dozen were rejected.
Vickers works for property owners, not insurers. He says to watch for changes for higher premiums -- and also for new terms like deductibles for wind damage or other hurricane effects.