Turns out many homes aren’t covered in wake of catastrophic hurricanes

Here are some facts about flood insurance

From Texas to Florida and then Puerto Rico, this year has seen a barrage of hurricanes that have crippled residents’ properties. The collective damage of these storms will likely exceed $250 billion, according to economists.

Adam Kamins, a senior economist at Moody’s Analytics, suggested to CNN Money that there are hidden costs in Hurricane Maria’s aftermath. But the most surprising detail to come to light is that less than 1 percent of homeowners in Puerto Rico and roughly 15 percent of Corpus Christi residents had flood insurance — many will have to rely on federal loans to rebuild their homes.

It’s obvious that hurricanes can cause flooding, but flooding can occur in other ways like the 2010 New England rainstorm that left Rhode Islanders with waterlogged roads and damaged structures. Natural disasters like this will happen again, and it’s important to understand why flood insurance is worth every penny.

Here are some important facts about flood insurance you may not know:

—Floods are generally not covered in regular homeowners insurance. Longtime homeowners may know this, but new home buyers may not know that flood insurance needs to be added to your package separately.

—Floods happen everywhere, regardless of whether your home is in a low-risk area. The Federal Emergency Management Agency notes that 20 percent of claims occur in areas with low to moderate flood risks. This might explain why Rhode Islanders were so devastated by the 2010 rainstorm.  And it might also explain why thousands of Texans weren’t carrying adequate flood insurance.

—Flood insurance premiums vary by area, but premium averages for Rhode Island and many other New England regions are the highest in the nation due to several factors. An OceanPoint Insurance agent can sit down with you and help you find the best rates available.

—Don’t wait for the weather forecast before buying flood insurance because most insurers have a 14 to 30-day waiting period before it can be implemented.

OceanPoint Insurance is ready to assist you in developing a customized insurance package that meets your needs. By ensuring that you are completely covered in the event of a catastrophic loss like the ones we’ve recently witnessed, you can rest assured knowing that your family is protected.

To find out more about flood insurance, give us a call at 401-847-5200, or send us an email at info@oceanpointins.com.

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Heed these safety tips for a Happy Halloween

Whether you will be out trick or treating with your tiny goblins or staying at home to give candy to passing ghosts, adults should heed a few safety tips to ensure Halloween continues to be a safe rite of passage for youngsters.

With kids dashing from one home to the next in a race to fill their pumpkin baskets, statistics from Safe Kids Worldwide suggests this festive holiday is linked to an increase in young pedestrian deaths. In fact, kids are more than twice as likely to get seriously hurt on Halloween than on any other day of the year.

As part of our commitment to keep your family safe all year round, we at OceanPoint Insurance want to share some important information we hope you consider during Halloween:

  • Parents should make sure their kids’ costumes contain bright and reflective material. Reflective costumes will grab drivers’ attention and will make them more vigilant in busy neighborhoods.
  • While driving in residential neighborhoods, especially around 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., drivers should have their foot on the brakes to make sure they can stop the vehicle in case a child runs across the street.
  • According to Safe Kids Worldwide, about 12 percent of children 5 years of age and younger are accompanied by an adult. Safe Kids Worldwide advises that all children 12 years old or younger should be accompanied by an adult.
  • Some costumes can impede your child’s ability to move or see. Parents should make an effort to ensure kids have complete mobility and vision because kids could unknowingly walk into oncoming traffic.
  • Before Halloween arrives, parents can talk with their kids about safety. These discussions should include appropriate and safe behaviors like walking on the sidewalk; walking in properly lit areas; using crosswalks and being aware of traffic signals.
  • Homeowners waiting for visitors should have their walkway clean from obstacles because they can pose a safety hazard.
  • While candle lit pumpkins can provide some of the best Halloween backdrops, homeowners should consider replacing them with electric pumpkin lights because the former can pose a fire risk for youngsters wearing fire prone accessories. Candle lit pumpkins can also increase the probability of a house fire.
  • At the end of the night, inspect all of the treats gathered to make sure they are safe for consumption.

As you head into the night with your caped crusader or miniaturized Dracula, keep these tips in mind for a fun and spooky Halloween this year. Call an OceanPoint Insurance agent at one of our locations anytime to discuss other ways to protect the ones you cherish the most.

 

 

 

 

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Protect your boat from thieves this season with boat insurance

RI Boat InsuranceRI Boat Insurance

OceanPoint Insurance is committed to giving southern New Englanders peace of mind by offering a selection of RI Boat Insurance policies, and reminding boat owners this fall of proactive measures they can take to protect their boats from theft.

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, most watercraft vessels that are stolen are never returned.

Here are six ways to protect your boat this season:

1. Lock it up. . .tight.

Thieves are easily deterred when your vessel proves to be not worth the effort. If you have a trailer, start by locking it up and using a parking boot similar to the ones used on cars. You can take this a step further by locking any latches, and locking any windows.

2. Equip it with an alarm system.

Intruders who are greeted by a blaring sound are usually persuaded to move on to another vessel, in part, because of the unwanted attention from onlookers. Today, security systems are sophisticated enough to take full advantage of technology available in your phone. Another solution that’s easier on the wallet might be to leave a water proof radio running in the background which could be enough to dissuade thieves from jumping aboard in the first place.

3. Move the trailer in an inconvenient position.

Boat owners have every right to park the trailer in a way that is convenient for them, but that also means it’s convenient for thieves. When parking the boat, the boat’s hitch should be pointing towards the driveway. It’s important that unscrupulous individuals don’t see a hitch when they are strolling along the sidewalk, otherwise you could be inviting them to latch on their pickup trucks for an easy steal.

4. Record, record and record some more.

Law enforcement officers will have a hard time helping you if you can’t provide a detailed account of all of your belongings. You should make a log of all the valuable items within the vessel, so law enforcement officials can narrow down the list of thieves who might be looking to fence your belongings for bargain low prices at nearby pawn stores.

5. Personalize your boat in a hidden way.

Since 1972, the federal government has required that all boats manufactured or imported in the United States come with a Hull Identification Number (HIN). All states have additional requirements that may be different from one city to the next, but a precautionary measure would be to engrave the HIN in places someone wouldn’t think to look. This will come in handy if your boat has gone over a radical makeover like a new paint job.

6. Out of sight, out of mind.

Keeping your watercraft in a poorly lit area could be a contributing factor to why your boat is missing the next morning. There is debate about whether lighting could deter criminals from committing crimes, but studies have shown that without street lighting, crimes including thefts in some neighborhoods tend to go up. You can avoid the headache altogether by keeping your vessel in a secure area that is out of sight like a marina or a garage, but it’s advised that other precautionary measures are also taken into account.

Learn more about RI Boat Insurance, contact an OceanPoint Insurance agent.

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