Looking at my house in New Orleans on CNN and the 8 ft. of water that has flooded it. My insurance asked me to come up with a detailed list of all the stuff that is lost. Hmmm lets see, since the only thing the hubby and I were able to grab was our bikes, the dog, and enough clothes for a few days, its going to be a long list.
Anyone know what a 2003 QR Tequilo is worth? How about my Giro helmet, Rudy project glasses, my racing gear, shoes, water bottles, the Iroman backpack my hubby gave me in congrats for finishing IM Moo last year, my bike tools, the computrainer, heart rate monitors, all my workout clothes, runnign shoes, hats, swimgear (hey at least my paddles, pull bouy and kick board will be floating…in the attic). but of all that stuff …what I wish i had the most is the training journal I have been keeping for the last 2 years and 2 ironman races.
I wont get into my furniture, kitchen stuff, clothes and bedroom items or my CAR (which is parked on the highest point… of the driveway)
Sorry for the rant, i cant decide whether i want to cry, throw up, hit someone, or go for a run and not come back.
Go online and find each and every item you lost…make a list of the RETAIL prices and pray you get somewhere near that in compensatoin. Just think of the fun you’ll have when you get all your brand new gear!!! I know it doesn’t make you feel better, but at least you’re alive and kicking.
Sorry for the rant, i cant decide whether i want to cry, throw up, hit someone, or go for a run and not come back.
That’s not even close to a rant. ;->
I experienced a very small amount of what you are feeling a few years ago, when we were almost certain that we’d lost nearly everything in a fire. When I had to face this realization, I decided that everything that was really important was with me. My family was with me, my dog was safe, and a very few belongings (pictures, mostly) were in the car. Everything else was just stuff, and could be replaced, at least for the most part. We got very lucky, and due to that, some very hard work by some very brave people, we were spared. We know several families that weren’t as fortunate as we were, and they did lose everything, and they were luckier than some of their neighbors, who lost their lives.
You have everything you really need. It’ll be very difficult, but you’ll be okay. You are safe enough to be posting here. That’s huge.
I’m sorry to hear of your fate.
Go for a walk with your husband and dog, and try to realize how fortunate you are.
Good luck. I’m directing all my good juju in your direction.
I am so sorry for your losses - at least you, your husband and dog are ok.
when looking at your gear - look at replacement cost to replace this day in age not what you bought it for - if you have replacement cost insurance that will help get you whole again for replacing your stuff.
I feel terrible about your loss and the loss by my friends in New Orleans. Makes me very ashamed of the bozos on the other thread that are too caught up with their club championship points to worry about what is really going on in the gulf states. We fortunate ones should all take a step back, realize what is really important (health, happiness etc.) and stop dwelling on petty arguments .
Again – hopefully you will bounce back better than ever. Just know that there are a bunch of us out there pulling for you.
So sorry for your losses. It’s a true mess down there right now. I live in Hot Springs. My girlfriend and I decided we wanted to help those in need in the coastal area. Rather than giving money we went to a hotel this morning in Hot Springs and gave them our name and a number. We asked them to provide us with a family that was spending nights in the hotel. We then asked them to forward the name to us and we would provide them with a room at our house so they could at least save the hotel fees for when they return to the mess of their own home. It’s not much but I’m sure the hotel costs are a very difficult burden at a time like this. Good luck to all of you who have been touched by the storm. Rebuild bigger and better.
thanks for all the good “juju, mojo, voodo, vibes” ect yall are sending my way. i dont even want to think about catalouging my clothes. tri stuff is easy because thats what is familiar to me on a day to day basis. what really makes me cry is all my irriplaceable stuff… ALL my pictures including old family pictures, all my grandmothers antique furniture includind solid mohogany tables, chairs, ect. paintings my great grandfather did.
you are right, its just stuff but its my familys history. i am so glad the hubby and pooch are with me. i would be going insane if he was still there.
since this is the first time i have done this… any advice would be great. do they replace what i is ruined or do they just cut me a check for what its all worth? i guess the good thing about all this is that there really is no question that my house and car are totalled.
rnnrgrl - not sure what type of insurance you have - but call your home insurance company (contents of the house will be covered there) and your auto ins company they will assist you. most likely you will file your claim and get a check cut to you - do not underestimate the worth of anything when determining the value - err on the high side. and remeber, think about replacement cost not what you paid for it. it may take a while for them to help you because of all the claims but they are the place to start. if you do not get satisfaction from them go to your insurance department in LA
also, something you should know about with your insurance bills - there will probably be directives coming from the insurance commish in your state that insurance companies can not cancel your policy for non pay (for a period of time) this is so people can get back on there feet without having to worry about paying their insurance bills on time or that their ins companies will cancel them as soon as a payment is late (you will eventually have to pay the full amount due but it should buy you some time).
hope this helps! I know this advice is all secondary because of all you have been through but I hope it helps some.
Sorry to hear about your loss. Things like sunglasses and computrainers can be replaced but special gifts and pictures cannot.
My dad is a contract insurance adjuster and he gets called out to disaster areas to help process claims more quickly. The company he works for gives him a laptop, a printer, and a stack of checks. He comes onsite, determines the amount of loss, and cuts a check right there. It is a very cold process (“here is $x for everything you have ever owned”) but they try hard to make it expedient.
Go for a run, but do come back to your husband and your dog. They probably need you right now.
In general, there is a maximum that the company will cover for “contents” of the house, and it’s part of your policy – you’re covered to “X” amount. So in cataloguing, once you get to that amount (plus the deductible), then you might as well stop, because that’s the maximum check they’ll cut for you.
And be wary of the guy who comes on site and says “here’s a check for ‘Z’ dollars to cover everything.” Unless that is your policy’s max amount, what the company is most likely trying to do is to get people to sign off the loss for less, releasing them of any further payments.
The house itself and your car would be covered by different policies, or different clauses of the same policy.
That really sucks. Maybe your relatives have some pictures that you can scan/copy in the future. This isn’t quite the same but when a friend of mine got robbed he tallied up a list and they cut him a check. That was it. Good/bad sides to it but I doubt they would “replace” everyhing per se. Glad to hear you didn’t abandon the dog.
I haven’t had to do an estimate like that before, but from what I hear from people here who have - include EVERYTHING you can think of and err on the high side (what it would cost to replace that item new). There should be both insurance agents who handle emergency/disaster situations and FEMA agents who can explain how to do this. I’m not really clear on the role/responsibilities of FEMA, but you might want to see how they can assist you.
Also, beware of scams and offers that sound too good to be true. There are a lot of people out there, unfortunately, looking to make a quick buck off those who are less fortunate. I know when Katrina came through here last week, bogus insurance companies popped up within hours…
Hopefully, you have your birth certificate, car title, deed, proof of insurance, etc. etc.
What you lost is worth lots of money…do the homework and make sure you ask for it. What you saved…worth soooo much more. Good thing you’re a triathlete and you can adjust, accept, and adapt to changes. God speed to you and your family! Our thoughts are with you.
thanks guys for all the support. i will say however that morale is pretty darn low. especially with all this looting and violence crap going on. plus it kills me to think that the rest of the country thinks that New Orleans is mainly populated with people like that. jeez, if one had never been there and only new what they saw on CNN about the big easy it looks like a miserable place to live. just remember that 80% of the population evactuated , and the 20% of whats left is what you see looting. i am at a point of disgust that i think we they (national guard, NOPD, medical personnel ect) just pack up and leave them to survive on their own.
I could only stare at the tv news last night I was speachless, all I saw were roof tops I can not imagine how feeling.