When a hurricane or major storm blows through your area, your home may sustain damage that renders your living spaces unusable. As part of this process, you may file an insurance claim to cover the repair costs.
According to the Office for Coastal Management, 50 climate disasters occurred in the U.S. between 2018 and 2020 with losses that exceeded $1 billion. Since these storms can cause major damage, knowing how to take good photos of your damaged property can help support your claim following a storm.
1. Wait to clean up the damage
You may want to go in and clean up your damaged property as quickly as possible. Instead of jumping in and doing this, wait and take pictures before you do anything. Do not remove any debris or move around your belongings.
2. Take pictures from multiple angles
Take multiple pictures of the damaged area, as well as the surrounding areas. Try to capture images of your damaged property from varying angles to showcase the full extent of the damage.
3. Save the pictures in a secure location
You should store any photos you take of your damaged property in a secure, accessible location. If, for example, you take pictures on your phone, upload these images onto the cloud to protect them from accidental loss.
As you go through the insurance claims process, many people may want to access these photos as they work on your claim. If requested, share these photos quickly to prevent delays with the claims process.