(MOBILE, Ala.) - One of the biggest headaches for residents of the gulf coast is dealing with insurance in the case of a hurricane or tropical storm. It's also one of the most important things for people living here to have.
While many homeowners pray strong storms will just stay away, some are also seeking a higher power when it comes to hikes in insurance rates. "Basically it has tripled in a year," says homeowner Jackie Ludgood. When asked how she deals with it, she said, "By the grace of God."
Ludgood is one of thousands of homeowners across the gulf coast who've seen a huge spike in insurance rates over the past year. "They had us to buy wind and storm insurance and that's a separate policy from the regular homeowners policy," she said.
Insurance agents we spoke with agree it's difficult to get wind coverage, however Scott Soulant with Allstate Insurance says it is imperative for homeowners who live in flood zones to get flood insurance. And, there's a catch. "If you purchase the policy today it'll be 30 days before it actually goes into effect," he said. "So you really want to know if you're in a flood zone or not."
Soulant recommends taking any questions you have about your policy now to your local agent.
