Your home may look strong and well-built, and chances are it is. Even so, it only takes one tornado, flood, or other natural disaster to devastate the structure. Natural disasters happen every day, and they happen to you, too. It is important to know what comes next.
If your home is damaged by a natural disaster, there are some important steps you will need to take. These nine steps can help you protect your loved ones, safeguard your finances, and get the damage repaired as soon as possible.
Table of Contents
Make sure everyone is safe.
Your possessions can be replaced, but your loved ones cannot. Before you do anything else, make sure everyone is safe and that the people you care about have shelter from the storm.
Evacuate the home.
When your home is damaged, you should assume that it is no longer safe to live in. Even if the damage looks minimal, there could be other factors that render the structure unsound and unsafe. A structural engineer can give you the all-clear or let you know that you will need to find temporary shelter elsewhere.
Take photos — lots of them.
Photographic evidence of the scope of the disaster could be critical in backing up your insurance claim and ensuring you get paid. Be sure to take lots of photographs from many different angles, including close-ups of the damage and wide shots that document the scope of the devastation.
Shore up the structure against further damage if you can.
Allowing the damage to worsen will drive up your costs and complicate the claim-paying process, so look for ways to shore up the structure and prevent additional issues.
That could mean placing tarps over holes in the roof, picking up debris that could become airborne, and performing other tasks that can be done safely.
Contact your insurance company to get the claim process rolling.
The earlier you file an insurance claim, the sooner you can begin to rebuild your home — and your life. Contact your insurance agent as soon as you can, both to protect your rights and to get the claim process moving.
Seek out alternative lodging while repairs are being made.
If part of your damaged home is still structurally sound, you may be able to stay there while other repairs.
