It's been a busy year for insurance companies with deadly tornadoes, wildfires, and now Tuesday's earthquake in Virginia.

So far this year insurance companies have paid out more than 15 billion dollars in claims across the United States. Now with Hurricane Irene churning in the Atlantic that number could go up.

For more than 20 years Faye Bradham has been in the insurance business. And like clock work when a hurricane approaches, life at the office gets hectic.

"Our phones have been ringing off the hook. A lot of people are calling making sure they have adequate coverage," explains Bradham.

Bradham says many of her clients are also looking for reassurance that everything will be okay.

She suggests homeowners in coastal counties like Horry have wind/hail, fire/lightning, and flood insurance through FEMA. "Especially if you live near a lake or a stream or a swamp of that nature because when Floyd came we had more damage from flooding than we did anything else," adds Bradham.

She cautions hurricane season is not the time to pay your bill late. "You need to go ahead and pay your premium because when the storm comes a lot of times our companies will stop us from binding anything."

If a storm does hit our area, homeowners should take preventive measures.

"Keep your receipts because insurance companies want you to do that. It's your responsibility to take care of your property and make sure if someone comes along and they're trying to put you a new roof on your house that you're dealing with a reputable person," says Bradham.

When it comes to earthquake insurance, independent agent John T. Cook  "absolutely" recommends that his clients get a policy because South Carolina is on a fault line. Cook says if a customer refuses earthqauake coverage they must sign a document stating that it was offered to them.

Unless you are a buying a new home and the insurance is included at closing, there's a waiting period before your policy goes into effect.