Tonight many people have storm damage to their homes.
And we wanted to know if you have homeowners insurance, what's covered? What's not and how do you go about, navigating through the claims process?. Reporter Maya Saenz shows us what she uncovered.
This is Hyda Hills, the block where Dickie Hoskin and his family live right after two tornadoes passed through Friday night.
Today - he's still going through assessing the damage to his home: a home he's lived in for less than a year. "Inside of my house, basically some of the walls got pushed in so we don't know if it's livable yet."
Windows broken, without power for days, and his deck completely gone."Ripped all the gutter out over here, ripped all the vents, pulled them out forward." And now working to make his home livable again. "The first thing we did after make sure the kids were okay, we called our insurance, and all they said was to not touch anything until we took a picture of everything that we needed."
State Farm homeowners insurance agent Batt Dougherty says taking pictures of the damage is the best thing a homeowner can do.
He says many of the claims he's seen in Bellevue were protected from wind damage, but says flood coverage is often overlooked by homeowners. "When you have a sump pump fail, and that basement floods, if you don't have a backup and sewer coverage endorsement or if you didn't have flood insurance, then those losses aren't covered."
Dougherty says each homeowners insurance coverage is different, which is why it's important to know what your coverage is because you never know when a storm will strike. "Your house is probably your largest asset you own. It's nice to know what you're protected from."
Insurance experts also say keeping receipts of anything you buy such as a tarp or wood to cover a broken window will help with filing a claim. Also make sure to check with an agent before hiring a contractor or roofer to begin repairs.
