Mold Damage and Florida Hurricane Insurance Claims

As a resident of the Tampa area, you take hurricanes seriously. After all, even a minor storm may leave your home with significant wind, rain and other damage. When the clouds clear, though, your vulnerable home may become a breeding ground for toxic mold.

Mold-related insurance claims can be tricky. Because mold may penetrate all parts of your home and cause extensive damage, many insurance policies either limit mold coverage or exclude it altogether. If you have mold growth after a hurricane, you may have some insurance options.

Protecting Your Home

Mold can be devastating for any home. Not only does fungal growth ruin the overall look and feel of a house, but it also poses a health risk for the property’s residents. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mold can contribute to a variety of health problems. If you have a breathing condition, such as asthma, mold growth may even be deadly.

Filing an Insurance Claim

While Tampa is a fantastic place to live and work, the city’s high humidity is ideal for fungal growth. If your home’s mold problem stems from improper maintenance, upkeep or sanitation, you probably cannot file a successful insurance claim. The same is likely not true for mold that appears after a covered event. For example, if your home sustains water damage during a hurricane, subsequent mold damage probably falls within your policy’s terms.

Taking Appropriate Steps

If you have mold in your house after a hurricane, you have a couple of concerns to address. First, you must think about your personal safety. Put simply, staying in a mold-infested home may be risky. Nonetheless, you must ask your insurance adjuster to assess the damage. You do not want to attempt to remove the mold before doing so.

No one wants to live in a hazard-ridden house. Fortunately, if mold growth stems from hurricane damage, you may receive an insurance settlement that allows you to restore your home to its pre-storm condition.