Begin to Rebuild a House in Atlanta after a Hurricane
If you need to rebuild a house in Atlanta after a natural disaster, you have our condolences. In the south Atlantic states, we regularly endure extreme weather, including severe thunderstorms, floods, and—everyone’s favorite—hurricanes. The upcoming 2024 hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30, is of particular concern due to unseasonably warm water temperatures.
Dealing with the aftermath of a hurricane is devastating, especially if your home has been affected or destroyed. We’ll discuss some guidelines to getting your life back when you have to rebuild your home in Atlanta.
Rebuild a House in Atlanta—When Safe
Recovering from a hurricane takes time, persistence, and patience. Remember that safety is your top priority as you take the first steps.
Get Back to Your Atlanta Home Safely
Before you can begin to rebuild a house in Atlanta, you’ve got to be able to get home. If you’ve evacuated during a hurricane, do not return home until local officials say it’s safe. Listen to your local news or a NOAA weather radio for updates.
Once you’ve gotten the green light to go back home, avoid flooded roads and bridges that might have washed away. Watch out for dangers like debris blocking the roads, fallen wires, and structures that could collapse. After you get home, avoid driving unless you absolutely must.
How to (Cautiously) Re-Enter Your Atlanta Home
Don’t just walk into your house post-hurricane. Take an assessment of the basics to ensure your safety.
Walk outside first to look for loose power lines, gas smells, or damage.
Don't go in if you smell gas, see flooding, observe fire damage, or if it's just not safe.
Watch out for carbon monoxide from generators in power outages.
Use flashlights, not candles. Turn on your flashlight before going into an empty building to avoid gas sparks.
Confirm Your Atlanta Home Is Safe to Live In
Once you’ve confirmed your dwelling is safe to enter, do a check to see if it’s safe to occupy. This assessment is crucial before beginning to rebuild a house in Atlanta. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a home that's safe, clean, working well, and doesn't have any disaster-caused dangers is considered habitable.
If you plan to ask your insurance for Additional Living Expense (ALE) coverage while you rebuild your house in Atlanta, you need to show that the home is not fit to live in. FEMA looks at a few things to decide if a place is habitable:
The outside of your home, like windows, doors, and the roof, should be in good shape.
Your electricity, gas, heating, plumbing, and other services should work.
Inside your home, the floors, walls, and ceilings should be solid.
You should have a safe way to get in and out of your home.
Your sewage and plumbing systems should work.
If you have a water well, it should be in working order.
If the home isn't safe to live in, get in touch with your insurance company to check if you can use your policy's ALE benefits. An assessor will come over to see how the hurricane affected your property and calculate the monetary value of each loss.
Get Help to Rebuild Your House in Atlanta
To be eligible for ALE, home damage must be covered by your insurance policy. Typical homeowners insurance often doesn't cover damages from flooding or windstorms, which are common after hurricanes. However, insurance companies in the south Atlantic states often offer special programs for coastal areas. These programs let policyholders add windstorm coverage if it's not in their policy originally. Talk to your insurance company to be clear about what your policy covers.
The ALE part of your homeowners insurance helps with extra costs when you have to live somewhere else while you rebuild your house in Atlanta. ALE usually covers hotel room expenses and temporary rental expenses.
Remember, ALE is usually up to about 20% of what your home is insured for, and there's a time limit on how long you can use it. For example, if your home is insured for $200,000, you could get up to $40,000 for extra living costs. This money should be enough for the time mentioned in your policy.
Notify Your Mortgage Company
Legally, your mortgage company has to require homeowners insurance to protect themselves from unexpected events like hurricanes. If your house gets damaged by a covered incident, your homeowners insurance will help with extra living costs and repairs. This coverage ensures you can keep up with your mortgage payments.
If a hurricane completely destroys your home, your insurance company will pay off your mortgage. However, the amount you receive to rebuild a house in Atlanta and settle the mortgage depends on the insurance choices you made. "Replacement value" coverage is not always included and may cost extra.
If a hurricane affects your ability to pay the mortgage—for example, because you lost your job temporarily due to the storm—you can ask your lender for mortgage forbearance. This allows you to make lower payments or postpone them without hurting your credit score. But remember, interest keeps adding up during this time.
Whether you're making mortgage payments, expecting the insurance to cover them, or requesting forbearance, it's crucial to update your lender on your situation. This will help them work out payment plans that fit your needs.
See If You’re Eligible for Disaster Relief
If you live in an area that has been officially declared a federal disaster zone, there are relief programs available to you.
Homeland Security’s Disaster Relief Portal
Go to DisasterAssistance.gov to see if your property is in a federal disaster area. By using their online assessment tool, you can find out about assistance programs that fit your situation. You can also register for aid and track your application progress on the website.
FEMA’s Personal Disaster Aid
If you need help with housing costs that your insurance doesn’t cover, you may qualify for FEMA’s Personal Disaster Aid if the following applies to you:
Your insurance claim is still in process.
The money from your insurance isn’t enough to cover all your disaster-related expenses.
You already used up the ALE from your insurance.
It’s hard to find a suitable rental place.
US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Disaster Victim Mortgage Insurance Section 203(H)
This program offers mortgage insurance to lenders who give loans to homeowners whose homes were badly damaged or destroyed by disasters like hurricanes. These loans don’t need an initial down payment and are meant to help you rebuild your house in Atlanta. While the program aims to be affordable, there are some costs involved. You will need to pay an insurance premium when you get the loan, and then monthly premiums.
Pick up the Pieces
Before you can begin to rebuild a house in Atlanta after a hurricane, there’s some cleanup to do. Fallen trees, destroyed homes, and scattered debris can make cleaning up a big task when you get home. Usually, local authorities take care of clearing debris that blocks roads or stops emergency vehicles.
When it comes to debris on your property, there's a chance your insurance policy covers cleaning it up. Some homeowners insurance plans have debris removal included as part of extra coverage. People living in areas prone to hurricanes might pay more for insurance if they add on debris removal.
If your policy has this included, your insurance company will pay for cleaning it up. They cover up to 25% of the direct loss payment and 25% of the deductible amount. For example, if you have $20,000 in damages, 25% is $5,000. If your deductible is $1,000, 25% is $250, so the most they'll pay for debris removal is $5,250. But if there's debris on your property that didn't damage your home, your insurance won't pay for cleaning it up.
Begin to Rebuild a House in Atlanta
After finding a temporary place to stay, contacting your mortgage lender, starting your insurance claim, seeking more disaster relief help, and handling debris removal, you're ready to start rebuilding your home.
Your insurance company will provide the rebuilding money based on your policy's coverage. Remember, if your estimated rebuilding cost was based on your mortgage or home value, the actual costs might be higher. If you made upgrades to your home without updating your insurance, redoing those changes could go beyond what your policy covers.
While rebuilding, consider fortifying your home against future hurricanes. Here are some suggestions for new hurricane-resistant features:
Add storm shutters or strong windows and doors.
Use a sturdy roof anchoring system.
Build with a strong load-bearing structure.
Choose storm-resistant materials like reinforced concrete.
Rebuild Your House in Atlanta—Never Alone
Dealing with a natural disaster is never easy. We hope we helped provide some comfort and guidance on how to rebuild a house in Atlanta and get your life back on track. From seeking professional help to navigating insurance claims and understanding building codes, there are various steps you can take to ensure a successful rebuilding process. Remember that you’re not alone in this journey, and there’s always support available from family, friends, and government organizations.