Severe storms are expected to come though the District, Maryland and Virginia - especially Maryland - carrying potentially damaging and dangerous levels of rain and wind. Several DMV Counties took precautious measures, with Maryland Counties that include Anne Arundel, Calvert, Cecil, Charles, Harford, Howard, Montgomery and Worcester Counties all dismissing classes early, while several other DMV Counties, including Baltimore County, canceling all after-school activities.
A Stronger-than-Normal Storm
This isn't just the run-of-the-mill storm, either. From CBS News:
"Confidence continues to be high for a widespread, high-impact weather event today into tonight across the state of Maryland. This is the same storm system that will paralyze parts of the Midwest and Plains with blizzard conditions, deliver severe to potentially destructive thunderstorms and tornadoes to the south and southeast, and bring flooding downpours and damaging winds to much of the East Coast."
An "exceptionally and unusually strong" low pressure system is expected to cause as much as 4 inches of rain to fall over the next several hours across the DMV and specifically almost all of Maryland. A large portion of that rain could come within a relatively small window of about 6 hours in the evening hours of Today, Tuesday, January 9, 2024. But the rain is expected to last through the night, and into early Wednesday for most Maryland locations.
Obviously, with this much rain within that short of a timespan, flooding is to be expected. Driving conditions will be dangerous due to the flooding of streets, but also with blinding downpours that will affect visibility. And with the potential flooding of local rivers and streams, the flooding of certain properties is likely as well.
High Winds Likely
Severe wind is expected as well. According to CBS News Gusts of between 45 and 65 mph are expected. The higher wind speeds of 65 to 70 mph are more likely to occur closer to the Maryland shore. From X:
FUTURE GUSTS: Damaging winds are LIKELY in scattered to many locations Tue. evening & night. The reason why these gusts can cause so much damage is saturated soil. Threshold of knocking trees down is much lower w/ gusts 40 MPH able to cause damage. Some gusts may reach 60 MPH. pic.twitter.com/bauufBb0I1
— Steven Sosna (@SteveSosnaWX) January 9, 2024
Potential For Storm Damage
There is a substantial chance of tree damage, and power outages. There will likely be a tremendous amount of exterior damages done to both residential and commercial properties. Both roofing and exterior cladding (like aluminum or vinyl siding) can get damaged from high winds by becoming detached from the main housing structure. Depending on the age of the house, the underlayment currently installed under the roofing or siding of a given property my not be up to the task of protecting the building from water damage with parts of the roofing or siding missing.
What if My House Gets Damaged?
Wind damage is generally covered under most homeowners insurance policies. Depending on the extent of the damages and the language of your homeowners insurance policy, the damage sustained to your house may warrant complete roofing or complete siding replacement. If your existing materials that have been damaged have been discontinued, your policy's matching language may dictate what your insurance provider will cover.
What Will My Homeowners Policy Cover?
Some policies state that the provider only owes for "direct physical damage," no matter any potential matching issue. Other language is more vague. More recently, at least a few insurance policies offer a special "roofing and siding matching" rider that states that complete replacement will take place (often up to a certain amount, like $10,000 or $20,000) if the damaged roofing or siding materials have been discontinued and/or cannot be reasonably matched. Erie, Travelers, and All State are all companies that offer this add-on.
Does My Policy Offer Matching?
Unfortunately, many homeowners are relatively ignorant of their particular policies, and they often find out the hard way that only a portion of their roofing or siding will be covered in the event of wind or hail damage, or other type of insurance-covered exterior damages. These matching riders are generally very inexpensive, and are often well worth it, especially for homeowners with known discontinued roofing shingles or siding. While many types of roofing and siding installed on homes throughout Maryland are still widely in production, there are still plenty of homes where this isn't the case. Homeowners with aluminum siding, especially non-white aluminum, have a good chance of not being able to match their current siding.
This is a good time to call your insurance agent or call directly to your insurance provider and ask about a "roofing and siding matching" rider. You should know that, unfortunately, many agents aren't familiar with all that may be offered, and may not even know about such a rider, despite it being available to purchase. The agent may explain that damages to roofing and siding are indeed covered, but general coverage is not the same as a matching rider. If your roofing and/or siding is 20 years old or older, the roofing and siding matching rider is definitely something to consider.
If your current provider does not offer this type of matching add-on, you may want to switch to a provider that does. As stated, Erie, Travelers and All State all offer this type of matching rider. State Farm also tends to match when it comes to siding (though not roofing) if the current siding has been discontinued and there is no reasonable match. However, it is Erie that seems to have the best roofing and siding matching add-on. This is because if the current building material has been discontinued, they will cover the undamaged portions, regardless of whether or not a "similar match" is available. With other such riders, if a similar match is available, the provider will still only pay for the directly damaged slopes, sides or elevations of your roofing or siding. This often leads to contentious debates about what constitutes a "similar match," which of course will always come down to a subjective opinion.
Whether or not a roofing or siding product has been discontinued, however, is not subjective. Itel is a lab that practically all homeowners insurers use to provide the specifications of a given damaged roofing or siding building product, along with its availability and even where it (or the "similar match") can be purchased, if anywhere. But, again, with Erie's matching rider, as long as the product has been discontinued, the entirely of the roofing and/or siding would be covered, assuming the damage is generally covered under the policy.
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Hire an Experienced Exterior Replacement Contractor
Though most modern roofing and siding systems are rated for much higher winds, these ratings depend on proper installation in non-real-world conditions. Of course, we all hope not to have to deal with damage of any kind to our homes, but when it does happen, it's important that you act swiftly to get the repairs completed timely and properly to prevent further damage and to get your house back to its previous condition.
It is recommended that you work with a knowledgeable exterior contractor from the beginning. This can and does make a tremendous difference in the claims process in ensuring that you get treated fairly and that you get what you are entitled to. And beyond the claims process, it is important that you get the repairs done properly, timely, and that your contractor is familiar with navigating the insurance invoicing and supplementation process.
If your home's exterior was damaged from these wind storms, call us for a free inspection. We'll give you an honest assessment up front, and we'll work with you and your insurer throughout the process. We will:
- meet with your insurance adjuster/inspector
- provide photos of the damage to your insurer
- provide satellite measurements of the roofing and or siding structures of your home to your insurer
- provide an estimate to your insurer
- perform all the insurance-approved work for the insurance-approved amount
- maintain or bring your house up to code/make sure code upgrades are covered (either way, we do them!)
- provide all the supplements and invoice documentation to the insurer
Needless to say, having an experienced and knowledgeable contractor on your siding after you've sustained exterior storm damage can go a long way, not only in helping with the claim outcome, but also in alleviating your stress about the claim and replacement process in general.
If your roofing and or siding was damaged by these recent storm events (either in MD, PA or DE), call JP Construction right away! (410) 816-5544. Or schedule online.
