Tornado victims left wondering how they’ll ever recover

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Many tornado victims are now asking the same question: How will I ever recover?

If individual federal assistance is awarded, it typically ranges from $3,000 to $6,000. But if your entire home needs to be rebuilt, you’ll have to rely on your insurance.

Disasters raise many questions, and First Alert 4 went straight to the source to get answers.

If you have damage from recent storms and plan to file an insurance claim, experts said you must do so as quickly as possible with your insurance company.

State Farm has set up a mobile response center right here in our area. We found it today in the Lowe’s parking lot in Maplewood. The company has brought in hundreds of extra agents and adjusters, and the mobile command center will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. over the next several days.

The company said you can meet with them face to face.

“A lot of people we know are without power, so to be able to come here and meet with somebody in person—sometimes it’s just nice to have somebody to listen to you, to look face to face with them, and tell them what’s going on. Often, it’s about being a shoulder for somebody to literally lean on,” said Gina Morss-Fischer, spokesperson for State Farm Insurance.

But let’s say you don’t have State Farm, and you’re having trouble with your insurance company. You can Missouri’s Department of Insurance.

They have staff who can help if your claim has been denied, if you’re struggling to reach your provider, or if you don’t understand your coverage.

You can find more information at https://insurance.mo.gov/

Tuesday, First Alert 4 Investigates had the chance to ask the director of that state agency some of the burning questions you might be asking right now.

Can my insurance raise my if I file a claim?

Yes, they can. In some cases, if you have minor damage, it might be worth paying out of pocket. But if it’s significant damage, the director says you’re likely going to have to file.

Can your insurance company drop you altogether if you file a claim—something called a non-renewal?

While other states with frequent natural disasters have seen this happen, Director Angela Nelson says Missouri has not. They are not seeing an increase in policies not being renewed.

Will s automatically go up in our region now that we’ve had these storms—even for those who didn’t file a claim?

Here’s what Director Angela Nelson had to say:

“We in Missouri have seen a lot of increased storm activity over the last few years, and that is undoubtedly going to culminate in some rate increases over the next few years. That said, it is something the department monitors. Insurance companies cannot recoup past losses or losses in other states. They must provide the department with actuarial justification to prove that the rates they plan to charge are not excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory. And we watch that very, very carefully.”

Bottom line: It’s possible rates will go up in the coming years.

If you have significant questions about your policy or want to file a formal complaint, you can do that with the state. You can even look up complaints while shopping for insurance.

But while you should compare providers, Nelson says you shouldn’t drop coverage altogether. If you have no insurance at all, recovering will be much more difficult.

As we reported yesterday, industry experts say lower-income homeowners and homeowners of color are more likely to be uninsured or underinsured. So now is a good time for everyone to consider what coverage they have.

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