Putting The Power In The People’s Hands

After the storm: What to do when your home is damaged

On Behalf of | May 3, 2024 | Hurricane Damage Claims

Every summer, Florida gets a wave of tropical storms – and summer 2024 is unlikely to be any different. 

Since heavy winds, powerful winds and hail storms often lead to serious property damage and even flooding, knowing the right steps to take in the aftermath of a bad storm can make all the difference when it comes to both safeguarding your home and expediting your insurance claim process. 

Mitigation is an important part of the process

As soon as you’ve made certain that everybody in your household is out of harm’s way, here are the next steps to take:

  1. Assess the damage: As long as it is safe to do so, inspect your property and take as many photos of you as possible of obvious damage since these photos can be invaluable when it comes time to file an insurance claim. Look for structural damage, broken windows, damaged siding and drains and missing shingles or other roof damage that you can see from the ground and water intrusion.
  2. Take mitigation steps: This is critical. Most insurance companies require policyholders to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage to their property, so the failure to do so could affect your claim. You may need to temporarily board up windows, tie tarps over damaged roofs or clear debris away from your drains. Again, document the steps you take with photos so you can’t be accused of any kind of negligence later.
  3. Contact your insurer: Inform your insurance provider about the storm damage as soon as possible. Provide them with detailed documentation, including photos, videos and a list of damaged items. Since they are likely processing a lot of claims, the more prepared you are with the information they need, the better. Make sure you keep a record of every contact you make with your insurer, along with who you spoke with and what was said.

For a lot of people, the worst part of weather-related home damage is actually dealing with their insurance company. If your claim is unfairly denied, unreasonably delayed or vastly undervalued, the best thing you can do is seek legal guidance.