Unfortunately, Hurricane Harvey Isn’t Over Yet
Collateral Damages
Trillions of gallons of water were dumped on south Texas during the record-breaking event that was Hurricane Harvey. But the storm itself was only the beginning of sorrows. While unprecedented community cohesion happened as thousands took to the watery streets helping their neighbors through a variety of improvised means, unprecedented damage still remains.
There’s the cleanup to consider, the losses in business, the property losses, the injuries, the deaths—it will take years to properly iron out all the wrinkles Harvey seeded throughout the gulf. Everyone is going to have to tighten their belts and push forward to keep from being totally ruined by this disaster.
One of the most frightening things to consider is that many insurance companies have no way of properly answering legitimate claims. They don’t have the funds. The same issue was experienced during Hurricane Katrina, and Harvey broke records over that storm. Getting your settlement will very likely require legal assistance.
Beginning The Recovery Process
TheDoanLawFirm.com advises several steps for a hurricane Harvey claim, beginning their advisory by pointing out: “…thousands of claims have been filed by business owners with their insurance companies seeking compensation for Hurricane Harvey business interruption pursuant to the policies they purchased.â€
Insurance companies may employ several strategies to avoid paying out what legitimate claimants deserve. They may decrease the amount of the settlement they pay out or even delay legitimate settlement payout as long as they are able to. Expect every loophole to be exploited.
Perhaps the first step you should take is to expect the worst while hoping for the best. Expect your insurance company not to perform as they should, then prepare accordingly. You may want to stock up on emergency supplies, find supplementary means of income, and lean on your community for support.
Provide help for those who need it, and ensure your own financial “boat†is securely afloat. You may look into crowdfunding solutions to get the kind of assistance you need. There are also going to be disaster relief organizations which can offer you some assistance going forward.
Focus On What Positives You Can Find
Some affected by this disaster have lost more than just homes and jobs, they’ve lost family members as well. If you suffered from any of these loses, you deserve the kind of help that will sustain you. If you can’t get it through expected avenues of insurance, you may need to go the legal route.
Help is out there, and you can find it. It may be important to just take things one day at a time. Depression and pain through such a trying experience can collaterally affect your health—another element of the hurricane fallout many people don’t realize. A giving heart is good for health, a broken heart can sap your will to live.
Something else that happens during large disasters like this is an erosion of traditional infrastructure. Clean water and waste disposal may wane in some communities, which can lead to an increase in otherwise preventable disease. If you’re already depressed, it’s going to hurt your immune system even worse.
One Day At A Time
If you’re alive, if you’re healthy, you’re doing better than thousands who weren’t so lucky. If you aren’t injured, if you have your family, if you have friends, then you’re in a place where you can appreciate that which is truly valuable in life.
It’s not much of a silver lining, but you need to cling to any positive you can find in these difficult times. That said, if you’re diligent in seeking support and just remuneration for your losses, you can find some level of recovery.
James is an internet entrepreneur, blogging junky, hunter and personal finance geek. When he’s not lurking in coffee shops in Portland, Oregon, you’ll find him in the Pacific Northwest’s great outdoors. James has a masters degree in Sociology from the University of Maryland at College Park and a Bachelors degree on Sociology from Earlham College. He loves individual stocks, bonds and precious metals.