Southeastern North Carolina recently suffered extensive flood damage from Hurricane Florence.

If you have flood insurance, great! But don’t lose it! It’s easy to happen if you don’t follow strict deadlines in submitting a claim.

One of the most notorious examples is not submitting the “proof of loss” form on time. You must submit the form within 60 days of the loss or you will lose the coverage… even if the insurance adjuster leads you to believe that there is no hurry. For examples of what can happen if don’t submit the form on time, take a look at Dawkins v.. Witt, 318 F.3d 606, 612 (4th Cir.2003) and Sargent v. Colonial Claims Corp 2011 WL 55990046 (E.D.N.C. 2011).

So, here’s what you do.

Immediately:

• Submit a Notice of Loss form
• Carefully document the loss and take lots of photos
• Submit the formal Proof of Loss form within 60 days of the loss.
• Do not delay, no matter what else you are told!