If your home is damaged or destroyed because of Hurricane Helene, you’re not alone.

The insurance industry marshals all of its resources at a time like this, and you and your neighbors can commiserate and trade notes and tips. The bad news is that insurance industry claims adjusters could still be overwhelmed by the scale of the storm and its aftermath.

There is no escaping the fact that you’ll be in a long line of people with claims. But being organized — and knowledgeable — should help.

Here are some resources to consider:

Ann Carrns’s guide to filing a homeowners insurance claim is here. This article by Tara Siegel Bernard explains why standard homeowners and renters insurance may not cover flooding, and Ann Carrns has a similar article from 2021 here. Christopher Flavelle has a recent post that explains how the overhaul of the federal flood insurance program caused many homeowners to drop their coverage.

During past hurricanes, The New York Times published many stories about what it was like to fight an insurance company for a higher payment — or any at all. They are still useful.

Here is a Your Money column by Ron Lieber from 2012 about the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy — and an article by Tara from 2013 about that same storm. Yes, the fallout and the fights over damages can last for years. A 2022 article about the aftermath of Hurricane Ida in Louisiana tells a similar tale.

If you live elsewhere and are scared by what you’re seeing, Tara’s guide to preparing for the next big storm should help. Ann has a column on how to shop for flood insurance, and in a separate article, she explains why hail claims are on the rise and what you should know about coverage.

Here, Emily Flitter chronicles why it’s so hard to keep decent coverage when premiums are rising.

Keep in mind that insurers are dropping people or shutting down in areas where you might not expect them to. Christopher’s article about where this is happening and why might surprise you. You can look up rates in your area via his interactive feature here.

In the wake of yet another large storm, it may become even harder for people to afford home insurance. An article from 2022 explains why this is a trend that seems to have no end in sight. For those who are ready to move someplace elsesuperace88, German Lopez wrote a piece for the Morning newsletter about how to find climate havens.

• to
• Know
• superace88
• What
• About