With much of the Texas Gulf Coast bracing for Hurricane Harvey to hit landfall today, home and business owners are preparing for the worst. The Weather Channel is predicting “torrential rainfall, storm-surge flooding and destructive winds” throughout the Texas Gulf Coast and parts of Louisiana.

In order to help local area residents in Hurricane Harvey's path prepare, we have compiled the following links to important safety and insurance information:

Safety Resources

Updates on Hurricane Harvey from the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center
Download the FEMA app to your mobile or tablet device as it gives users access to preparedness tips such as survival advice and weather alerts from the National Weather Service. Users can retrieve information on Disaster Recovery Centers and find locations of the nearest shelters.
The Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) state emergency management information
Texas Division of Emergency Management severe weather awareness information and instructions
Safety and preparedness tips from The Weather Channel
Flood insurance information from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
Water and flood safety instructions from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
Requesting assistance and/or shelter, finding loved ones, and donation information from the American Red Cross
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emergency preparedness and response information

According to the Insurance Information Institute’s statistics insured property damage caused by 2008's Hurricane Ike in Texas totaled $9.8 billion. Luis R. Esteves, Principal & Executive General Adjuster at Texas-based Jansen/Adjusters International, cautions that the unpredictability of these storms is what makes them so dangerous.

We will have no idea about the extent of the damage until after it passes so I always recommend that residents and business owners prepare for the worst in these situations. When storms such as this one hit, almost every affected homeowner files an insurance claim immediately following the event. This means that insurance company adjusters are inundated with claims, phone calls and questions. It is especially important to be persistent and to keep detailed notes concerning everyone you speak to and on what you are told by the insurance company.”

Luis R. Esteves
Principal & Executive General Adjuster