Mississippi insurance commissioner urges residents to check coverage ahead of Bertha

Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney urged residents in the path of Tropical Storm Bertha to review their insurance coverage and prepare for possible flash flooding and other storm damage, the Mississippi Department of Insurance said.

Chaney told residents that flood insurance takes 30 days to go into effect after purchase and advised anyone who recently bought a policy to check with their carrier.

The department encouraged residents in South Mississippi to create a home inventory to speed claims after a disaster and said the NAIC Home Inventory app is available for free from the Apple Store and on Google Play. The department advised taking photos and videos of the property and items inside the home.

Chaney also recommended packing a “Go Bag” that includes important documents such as insurance cards and Social Security cards, with copies kept in a waterproof container or saved as digital images online. He said residents should include a printed or digital copy of the home inventory, cash, medications, a battery-powered radio and a gallon of drinking water for every family member and pet.

The National Hurricane Center said Tuesday at 1 p.m. that Bertha was just offshore of the Florida panhandle with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and was moving northwest at 5 mph. The NHC said tropical storm warnings extended from Florida to Louisiana and projected landfall Wednesday evening near New Orleans before the storm moves back offshore and toward Texas on Thursday or Friday.

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