Is there a tropical storm near Florida? What to document for insurance before a storm hits

Having your home insured is key if a storm hits. But a lot of people aren't sure what their policy does, or if they have the right coverage.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30 with the peak of the season hitting now, Sept. 10 . The most activity happens between mid-August and mid-October, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Even those who do know how their policy works and what it covers still might not think to prep "before" pictures of their home and property until they're notified a storm is on its way.

As of Monday, Sept. 9, one day before the official peak of hurricane season, there is a named tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico that is " expected to strengthen into a hurricane before it makes U.S. landfall sometime late Wednesday night," forecasters said.

Tropical Storm Francine is the sixth named storm of the 2024 hurricane season and is one of three storms that the National Hurricane Center is currently watching.

Here are some things you can do now to make sure you get the best insurance payout possible , should your home or property be damaged in any kind of storm this hurricane season.

Is there a tropical storm near Florida right now? Will the tropical storm Francine become a hurricane?

Yes, there is a Tropical Storm in the Gulf of Mexico as of Monday, Sept. 9. and was expected to make landfall as a Category 1 hurricane late night on Wednesday, Sept. 11.

It's too soon to tell where the storm will make landfall, but the most current models anticipate Francine to come ashore somewhere in Louisiana.

Tropical update, Florida impacts: Everything you need to know in less than a minute

How to prep your house, and insurance policy, for a tropical storm

Aside from the obvious ways to physically prepare your home for any expected damage — boarding up windows, having sand bags, securing patio furniture, etc. — there is an often-overlooked hurricane prep step that could save you money.

Familiarizing yourself with a few key things in your home and flood insurance policies will help you understand what costs you are responsible for covering should your home be damaged. And documenting the condition of your home and most valuable possessions could make the process of filing a claim after the storm much easier.

What is the most important thing to pay attention to in a homeowners' insurance policy?

If disaster hits, you don’t want to be left in the dark about any gaps in your policy coverage. For example, if you’re a new homeowner, you might not know that flood and home insurance are typically sold separately. Most home insurance policies don’t cover damages sustained from flooding.

To familiarize yourself with what your policy or policies do and don’t cover and if there are costs you might be responsible for covering after the storm, re-read the “Exclusions” and “Duties After Loss” sections of your home or flood insurance policies.

Homeowners’ insurance policies usually cover damage from strong winds, including strong wind from hurricanes. But your policy might have a separate deductible for hurricane damage.

Insurance during hurricane season: Can you get homeowners and flood insurance in Florida during hurricane season? What to know

How can I get the most out of my insurance claim?

Don’t wait until your belongings are gone to find out how valuable they were. If your insurance company has to assess any post-storm damage to your home or property, they will probably ask if you have any proof or documentation of its condition before the storm.

Whether you can give that to your insurer will likely determine how much compensation you get back for damages.

Before the storm hits or before you evacuate, use your phone camera to take a long, slow video of your home and property to document what it looks like when everything is in its place. Take photos of your home and property as well.

If you want to be really thorough, make a detailed list of your valuable belongings and include receipts for more expensive items like appliances, furniture and electronics. At the very least, you may want to take pictures of these items to be able to prove that they were not damaged before the storm.

What should you do with important papers when planning for a disaster?

Don’t rely on paper copies of your most important documents, including your home or flood insurance policy documents.

Most Floridians know to keep their insurance policies, family medical information, deeds, wills and other important paperwork in a fire-proof, water-proof box or safe deposit box. But getting to those physical copies can be challenging if you’re in an emergent situation.

Scanning and uploading your insurance policies and other important documents to a cloud storage service like Google Drive, iCloud or Dropbox allows you to access them as long as you have cell service or access to Wi-Fi.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Is there a tropical storm near Florida? What to document for insurance before a storm hits