After the threat of Hurricane Helene receded, millions of homeowners and business owners returned to the property to witness the destruction. They will have to embark on the long and laborious process of recovering compensation through insurance claims to rebuild their lives.
Those unfortunate ones that don’t have any or enough insurance to cover for the damages, will either have to seek alternative routes to recover compensation or will have to bear the expense out of pocket. Let’s explore some property damage statistics from Hurricane Helene to understand the devastating impact of the hurricane.
Statistics Reveal the Devastating Impact of Hurricane Helene
As a Category 4 hurricane that made landfall on Sept 26th, Hurricane Helene was expected to cause major damage, but few were expecting the unprecedented devastation that followed. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the damages caused by Hurricane Helen exceed $30 billion across different regions. Some new estimates reveal Hurricane Helene caused up to $47.5 billion in losses for property owners.
Not all the damages were caused by wind, as floods resulting from the hurricane played a significant role in the devastation. Many areas experienced unprecedented rainfall and storm surges, which led to widespread flooding. Low-lying areas suffered the worst flood damage. Some properties remained submerged for extended periods of time, causing major property damage.
According to CoreLogic, the damages could be anywhere between $20 to $30 billion of uninsured flood losses, highlighting the high insurance gap. Just wind losses contributed to as much as $6.5 billion in losses, while floor from store surge and inland flooding caused up to $11 billion in losses.
How To Recover Damages from Hurricane Helene?
If you have suffered damages in Hurricane Helene and you have insurance coverage, you need to file an insurance claim as soon as possible to recover compensation. However, before you file a claim, you need to ensure you have property assessed for the damage. If you file a claim for less than what you ultimately spent to repair your property, you will have to cover the difference out of pocket. On the other hand, if you seek compensation for more than the actual damages incurred, the risk of having your claim denied increases.
Ideally, you want to consult with a Hurricane Helene property damage lawyer who specializes in recovering compensation for hurricane damage. The attorney can help you document the damages, complete all the paperwork, and file the claim on your behalf, ensuring that everything is submitted correctly and on time.
As the attorney can handle the legal aspects of the recovery, you can focus on getting your life back on track. In addition to property damage, hurricane damage can also include loss of personal belongings, business interruption, and additional living expenses if you need temporary housing.
If you don’t have insurance that provides coverage for such damages, you can consider a few other options. If your area was declared as a disaster zone, you could qualify to receive assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), community relief efforts, or other local and state assistance programs.
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