SACRAMENTO, Calif — With this week's upcoming storm, people are having flashbacks to last January. Trees damaged homes and there were massive power outages that lasted for days. Now, experts weight in on how homeowners can prepare for the rain, wind and snow.
It's been more than a year since a tree fell on a Midtown home. Homeowner, Juan La O has shared his story with ABC10 and is still struggling to get it fixed after the January 2023 storms. Over the summer, he put a sign in front of his home, expressing his frustrations with permitting and the city. A year later, the house is still not completely fixed.
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La O tells ABC10 that his home now has a new roof and that electrical work will be done soon. All of this work is estimated to cost around $80,000, and he's hoping his insurance company will help foot the bill.
"What you need to know is this tree coverage does exist as long as it hits something that's insured," said Dave Phillips, with State Farm Insurance.
Phillips said there are a few things homeowners can do right now to prepare for a storm.
"Take a look at your trees, your tree limbs. If there are dead branches, you don't want them, especially heavier branches, falling on your house, which potentially could cause roofing shingle damage," he said.
Phillips suggested taking pictures of what your property looks like now. After the storm, Phillips said there are some things homeowners can do if there's damage.
"Take photos. Save receipts. If you've done any loss mitigation measures to kind of shore up, maybe holes in the roof, things along those lines... have that ready for your insurer," he said.
As for La O's home, while there isn't a sign in front of it today, he said the city still has been an obstacle, but he's hoping to be able to move back into his house by May.
A city of Sacramento spokesperson tells ABC10 in a statement:
"The City worked with the property owner and contractor and issued a permit for the work needing to be done. The project is progressing, and inspections have been done for the roof of the structure. At this time, the permit holder will need to continue with all work issued under this permit and schedule inspections until the components of this project is completed."
Phillips noted that flood insurance does not come with a standard homeowner's policy. Flood insurance can be purchased on top of a standard policy, but it usually takes at least 30 days to take effect.
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