Hurricane season is deadly and can leave many people stranded. Many people seek shelter even before hurricanes hit their homes. During this time away, people often don’t know how their homes are affected by hurricanes. Hurricanes can be tracked, which can help people estimate how badly a hurricane affected them.
However, it’s often not until people return home that they find the true extent of the damage to their homes. When dealing with the aftermath of a hurricane, there are a few things victims may need to consider doing:
Find temporary shelter
It may be clear to hurricane victims that they won’t be returning home anytime soon. For example, there could be a fallen tree, loose wires or unstable structures that make it unsafe to stay in the home. If this is the case, people may need to find temporary shelter until further accommodations can be made with the help of hurricane insurers.
Determining the damage to your property
Victims may still need to survey their property to make a claim to their insurance company. Homeowners should be careful when examining their homes. As mentioned above, an unstable structure can make it unsafe to survey the property.
If the home seems structurally sound, victims can look at external and internal damages. A hurricane may have damaged the roof and torn up tiles, which could indicate weathering and water damage. A home may also suffer from flooding, which can cause serious damage to single-floor homes. A home with a basement may suffer from less damage, but could still develop mold.
Hurricanes affect thousands of people. Insurers may be reluctant to help their customers to the full extent during these difficult times. Victims may need to learn about their legal options to ensure they’re compensated for their losses.