Flood 2016: Details as Local Rivers Rise
posted by TrueNorth Companies on Friday, September 23, 2016
As Eastern Iowa prepares for flood waters over the coming hours, we wish to communicate the following information to you:
TrueNorth Availability (updated 9/25):
Cedar Rapids: With the potential for significant flooding in downtown Cedar Rapids, temporary flood walls have been placed around the perimeter of TrueNorth's home office. Even though employees will be unable to access our downtown building over the coming days, we will continue to be available via phone, email, Facebook, Twitter, and our website/blog. Our home office employees will provide our clients with uninterrupted service from their homes and a temporary office in the Cedar Rapids area. All of our servers, data, and equipment are located at a secure data center that will not be impacted by any flooding.
Cedar Falls Branch: Our office has a business continuation plan in place, should Main Street be affected by flood waters this weekend. As with Cedar Rapids, our clients can expect uninterrupted service.
As we continue to anticipate the rise of the river, the video below directs you to a live stream of the Cedar River directly across the street from our TrueNorth home office. From this vantage point, you will get a full view of our front parking lot. You can also use the tip of Mays Island and the McGrath Amphitheatre as a gauge of the water levels rising. We remain hopeful that the rain totals are minimal over the next few days and that the crest projections continue to fall. We will continue to update you as more information becomes available.
Trouble viewing? Watch the Cedar River live stream here: https://goo.gl/Uwffzc
Flood Predictions & Notifications
We suggest the following app and website as ways to stay informed:
Flood Coverage
Flood is typically not an automatic coverage on property policies. In order to have flood coverage, it must be negotiated separately from the standard causes of loss Should you have flood coverage in place, some policies provide limited coverages for protection and/or removal of your property. Please consult with your representative at TrueNorth if you have questions pertaining to your specific coverage.
Should you have a flood policy which follows the standards of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the policy will provide coverage for not only damage to your property, but up to $1,000 for costs you incur to protect the covered home or building from a flood or imminent danger of flood. Sandbags, fill for temporary levees, plastic sheeting, lumber, and pumps are considered reasonable expenses under the National Flood Insurance Policy. For additional guidance, you may call the NFIP directly at (800) 638-6620.
Flood Claims
In the event you suffer damage to your property, we recommend you report your loss directly to your insurance carrier to expedite the process. Should you have concerns or need additional guidance along the way, your TrueNorth representative will be here to assist.
If you have a flood policy with Selective Insurance, you may report a claim by calling (877) 348-0552. We have also attached a Selective Claims Guide for your reference. click here to view the guide. It provides best practices when dealing with a flood loss (i.e., track expenses/man-hours and photos, photos, photos), beyond specific information for clients insured by Selective Insurance.
Continuous Updates
TrueNorth will continue to broadcast updates via Facebook, Twitter, our website/blog, and email over the coming days.
Stay up to date by visiting the following sites and social media:
Website: www.truenorthcompanies.com
Twitter: @TrueNorthInsure
Facebook: /TrueNorthInsure