Severe thunderstorms have damaged a number of homes, cars, and businesses in South Carolina in recent weeks.
For those who have experienced damage, the South Carolina Insurance News Service provides the following tips:
• Survey the damage and notify your insurance company of any losses. Provide your agent with a copy of your home inventory if you have one. Important: Leave a number where you can be contacted if you are not at home.
• Make any temporary repairs necessary to protect property from further damage. Cover broken windows and damaged roofs to prevent further destruction. Keep all receipts for materials used.
• Do not dispose of damaged personal property until an adjuster has had the opportunity to look at it.
• If it is safe to access the area, take photographs or video to document damaged property.
• Find your insurance policy and have your policy number handy when you are ready to make your claim.
• If your business has been damaged and you have business income (interruption) insurance, it covers the profits your business would have earned, based on financial records, had the disaster not occurred. The policy covers additional operating expenses incurred as a result of the disaster, such as extra expense of operating out of a temporary location.
• The most serious losses will be given priority, but your insurance agent will see that your needs are taken care of.

Phone numbers to make insurance claims:
• Allstate Insurance - 1-800-54-STORM (1-800-547-8676)
• Companion Property & Casualty Insurance – 1-800-845-2724, option 2
• GEICO - 1-800-841-3000
• Grange Insurance - 1-800-445-3030
• Home Wise Preferred Insurance Company - 1-866-496-1782
• Johnson & Johnson Inc. - 1-800-487-7565, ext. 5024
• Nationwide Insurance - 1-800-421-3535
• Progressive Insurance - 1-800-274-4499
• PURE High Value Homeowners Insurance – 1-888-7873
• South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company - 1-800-799-7500
• South Carolina Wind & Hail Underwriting Association – Call your insurance broker/agent
• The Seibels Bruce Group, Inc. - Catawba Insurance Company - 1-800-525-8835
• Southern Mutual Insurance Company- 1-800-226-1919
• Southern Mutual Church Insurance – 1-800-922-5332
• State Farm - Contact your agent
• State Auto Insurance - 1-800-766-1853
• USAA - 1-800-531-8722
• Universal North America Insurance Company - 888-225-9441
For more information on settling insurance claims after a storm, take a look at our web site at www.scinsurance.net or contact the South Carolina Insurance News Service at (803) 252-3455.