With heavy rain swamping South Florida this week, we could be dealing with flooded cars, boats and homes.

That could lead to insurance claims for your soaked property.

Here are some questions and answers about flooded property and insurance coverage in bad weather:

Don’t have flood insurance? Will your home insurance cover damage?

Flood insurance, like the name suggests, covers damage due to floods and flooding. And while not everyone is required to get flood insurance in Florida — mandates are generally for those who live in designated flood zones — insurance experts say it’s a good idea to buy flood insurance even if you don’t live in a flood zone, given the flooding South Florida has had in recent years.

Jennifer Jurado, Broward’s chief resilience officer, said not enough people in Broward County have flood insurance. As of 2017, only around 200,000 people had policies with the National Flood Insurance Program, the biggest provider in the nation. About 1.9 million people live in Broward.

”It’s really something we should all have in Florida and especially in Southeast Florida,” she said.

Homeowners insurance typically covers damage from fire, theft, wind and falling trees. It provides some coverage for water damage, but usually not from rising water. If a storm causes a leak in your roof, for example, your homeowner’s insurance will likely cover it, according to Ochoa and Perri. Pipe bursts and overflowing toilets are usually covered too.

But if water seeps in through the bottom of the door and floods your living room? That’s a flood insurance claim.

It’s also worth noting that the Florida Legislature passed an insurance bill in 2022 that makes flood insurance mandatory for any homeowners with hurricane wind policies from Citizens Insurance. Current Citizens policyholders who live in designated flood zones are now required to have flood insurance — a switch that affected about 295,000 policies, according to Citizens.

As of Jan. 1, 2024, anyone with a Citizens home insurance policy for coverage over $600,000 is required to have flood insurance. That’s about 15,000 policies, according to Citizens. Next year, 2025, the policy applies to all Citizens’-insured homes with coverage over $500,000 — about 27,000 more policies.

READ MORE: Got hurricane insurance from Citizens? Here’s a new reason your bill may rise in Florida

TIPS:

▪ Check your homeowner insurance policy to see what it covers. And make sure your coverage includes “contents insurance,” also known as personal property coverage. This type of coverage helps pay to replace or repair your personal belongings, like laptops, clothing and furniture if they’re waterlogged.

▪ Keep receipts. “Most homeowners insurance policies will cover some additional living expenses for “loss of use” of a property, meaning it’s uninhabitable until it’s repaired or completely rebuilt. This could include the cost of a hotel, or even renting an apartment if repairs take awhile. Insurance may also cover things like the cost of dining out because you don’t have a home kitchen, insurance experts say. Use one credit card, not cash, to keep track of all your receipts.

Do most insurance policies cover mold damage?

Most policies don’t cover mold damage, but they do cover “mitigation activities” such as purchasing fans to dry out a room and cutting out drywall to prevent mold from spreading, according to Ochoa. Check your policy for details.

Should you hire a public adjuster?

Whether you hire a public adjuster or just rely on the insurance company’s adjuster is up to you. If you hire a public adjuster, they can help guide you through the claim process, with the goal of getting you the best payout.

However, keep in mind that you don’t need to hire an adjuster for every claim. Some adjusters might not take a case if the claim is too small. Also public adjusters charge from 5% to 20% of the total settlement or they may charge a flat or hourly rate, according to NerdWallet.

TIP: If you need help, only public adjusters and lawyers are authorized, under Florida law, to negotiate a claim with your insurance company. To verify whether you’re working with a licensed adjuster, go to beclaimsmart.com.

READ MORE: Hiring a contractor for home repair? How to check the license and complaints in Florida

What to do if your car has water damage

AAA and State Farm have some tips on what to do if your car got flooded:

▪ Take photos of the water damage. However, if the flood waters reach above the door’s sill, only take photos from the exterior of the car. You don’t want water to get inside the car and cause more damage. Once the water recedes, you can open the car doors to air out the vehicle and take interior photos.

▪ Don’t try to turn on the car. This could cause more damage if there is water in the engine. Call a towing service and wait for the vehicle to be inspected by a qualified mechanic to make sure it’s safe to turn on the car.

▪ Check your auto insurance policy to see if it covers flood damage. Then contact your insurance company to file a claim. If your current auto insurance doesn’t cover flood damage, consider changing policies for future incidents. Comprehensive coverage, for example, usually covers flood damage to vehicles.

READ MORE: Will car insurance cover frozen iguana damage in South Florida?

What should you do if your boat gets damaged?

Just like with auto and home insurance, if your boat has insurance, you’ll want to take photos and videos of the damage and file a claim immediately. You’ll also want to bail out any standing water in the boat, and clean and dry the boat to reduce the risk of mildew. Cover damaged areas with a tarp and if your boat engines got wet, “pickle” them.

“This process involves flushing them with fresh water and then filling them back up with kerosene or diesel fuel. Pickling your engine can significantly increase the chance of saving it,” according to Maritime Insurance International. “Engines can be expensive to replace and difficult to move. So if you can save yours by pickling it, this can prevent major hassles.

“Depending on your coverage levels, taking this step could free up funds to allow other damaged areas of your boat to be included in your boat insurance claim.”

What about flood insurance?

If you live in an area that’s prone to flooding, it might be a good idea to buy flood insurance for future storms and hurricanes.

For years, people could only purchase flood insurance through the Federal Emergency Management Administration’s National Flood Insurance Program. Now, you can also purchase flood insurance directly from private insurance companies.

What’s better? Depends on what you need.

Private policies, for example, are often cheaper and sometimes offer more coverage, especially if your property is an area with a lower flood risk, according to an article that had appeared in Money magazine.

However, “private policies are less dependable than federal policies. Where the NFIP guarantees renewal of its policies, a private insurer may elect not to renew a policy or even to cancel it,” reads the 2021 Money article. “And since private flood policies are new products, there’s uncertainty even by insurance standards, about what policies might cost in the future and which companies may still be writing them.”

The solution? Shop around and compare insurance policies.

What are resources for assistance?

If you need additional assistance, here are some resources:

▪ The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity has activated the private sector hotline at 850-815-4925 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for businesses to inquire about response and recovery resources available to them. You can also email ESF18@em.myflorida.com.

▪ The American Red Cross has a hotline available around the clock. If you were displaced and need assistance, call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

▪ Visit PrepareFL.com for recovery resources and insurance assistance.

▪ You also have to be wary of fraud when hiring someone to repair your home. If you think you’re a victim of fraud, call the Insurance Fraud Hotline at 800-378-0445 or visit FraudFreeFlorida.com.

Miami Herald staff writer Alex Harris contributed to this report.