FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Historic flooding in South Florida is bringing headaches for homeowners in more ways than one.
Replacing anything that’s damaged is bad enough, and filing an insurance claim may only add to the frustration.
The water is slowly receding but still deep in parts of Broward County, as people carry their belongings out in trash bags.
It is still so bad that a 7News crew had to go in on a mud buggy to reach homeowner Javier Cabrera.
“The water came up to that line,” he said.
Cabrera said he was in Boston on business when he looked at his security cameras and saw the devastation.
“It was stopping here and didn’t move,” he noted.
Both of his cars and home were completely flooded.
Asked if he had insurance for the contents of his home, Cabrera responded, “I don’t have content [coverage] because I was not expecting something like this.”
Many of these homeowners are down and tired. Fighting insurance companies is the last thing they want to do.
“The business of insurance companies is not to pay, and that is the reality, so you need help,” Cabrera said.
Cabrera called a consultant to help him navigate the claims process.
“Have you disposed of anything?” asked Andrew Perdomo with Monarch Claims Consultants
“They were involved from the beginning,” said Cabrera. “They helped me with all the troubles, so I learned a long time ago you need to use a policy adjuster in most of the cases. It’s like calling your attorney. I call my policy adjuster.”
Asked if they help to negotiate, Cabrera answered, “Yes, because generally you don’t know what things to put in the claim, so you need help, you need an expert.”
“This headache is something that, in a hectic time, that can alleviate for the homeowner,” said Perdomo.
Perdomo advises to refrain from moving anything and to document everything with pictures before beginning the cleanup.
“Traditionally,” said Perdomo, “four feet up would be the homeowner’s responsibility, and four feet down would be considered flood damage.”
Experts said 70% of Broward County homeowners have flood insurance, but there is still help for those who did not.
There is help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for those who do not have flood insurance.
“Yes,” Perdomo agreed. “There is a process to go through, especially for homeowners in areas where a lot there have no coverage. That will be a long line.”
A long line, but eventually help.
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.