On the evening of February twenty sixth, not less than seven tornadoes tore via the Oklahoma City space, setting the file for many energetic tornadoes in February in Oklahoma historical past.1 The tornados and accompanying excessive wind speeds and hail brought on widespread destruction and not less than twelve accidents – fortunately, none of that are reported to be deadly.2 At the storm’s peak, OG&E reported 33,000 individuals have been with out energy.3 The bulk of twister injury occurred in Norman, Oklahoma – the place I dwell – however the storm system brought on injury all through the south-central US, with 114 mile per hour winds reported in Texas.4 Photos of destroyed buildings, downed bushes and powerlines, and flipped vehicles lined entrance pages Monday morning, highlighting simply how in depth the injury is.
Every time a catastrophe like this happens, Merlin Law Group attorneys gear up for an inflow of policyholders needing assist after their claims are denied or underpaid within the aftermath. For those that suffered a loss and are attempting to determine their subsequent steps, this weblog is stuffed with useful info – right here, right here, and right here is an effective place to begin. This 2011 publish provides a useful, 12-point guidelines for anybody making a twister declare, which incorporates documenting all of the injury earlier than cleansing up, noting each communication between the policyholder and insurer, quickly mitigating to stop additional injury, and requesting frequent updates to make sure the declare doesn’t get misplaced amid a whole lot of others.
Norman is house to the University of Oklahoma and, as a university city, is stuffed with pupil renters – lots of whom probably do not know the best way to proceed with a declare underneath their renter’s insurance coverage. Again, compiling proof of all of the injury is paramount. Rental insurance coverage may additionally present protection for added residing bills, so displaced renters have to maintain all receipts for resort rooms, meals, and different residing bills incurred on account of the loss. While the renter’s declare and the owner’s declare shall be separate, they need to work collectively to precisely and totally doc the loss and all ensuing bills.
Not lengthy after the storm subsided late Sunday evening and into the early hours of Monday morning, pals and neighbors have been out working arduous alongside cleanup crews to clear away the wreckage and start to rebuild. I’ve lived in Oklahoma for over a decade, and, whereas these disasters by no means get simpler, I’m at all times in awe of my group’s resilience and empathy within the aftermath.
1 https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-severe-weather-timeline-tornadoes-strong-winds-storms/43082123
2 https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/26/us/oklahoma-severe-weather-winds.html
3 Id.