A huge tree was blown over by the last storm. It smashed into your house! You feel like that big tree flipped right over on top of you. Everyone’s talking about storms. But no one is doing anything about them. Certainly not the insurance companies… They say “Act of God” so they won’t pay up. Storm damage is a disaster. And it’s even worse when you have to pay for it.
Not only does a damaged house make for a long, hard, and expensive process but your homeowner’s insurance still needs to take their portion of the financial hit too. That means right now you’ll be looking at having to pay for materials, insurance claims, and cleaning services plus all the other jobs you need to get done. The last thing you need is more expenses piled on top of everything else.
Storms are devastating. They cause anxiety, stress, lost sleep, property damage… the list goes on.
When the storm has passed the initial clean-up usually takes longer than expected. You have to call your insurance provider, get an external contractor to help you clean up, wait for them to do their job, wait for the insurance coverage to kick in. The whole process is very energy-consuming. And while others are suffering too, there are also others that try to make money out of it. They prey on vulnerable people’s suffering. Some might even take advantage of you while you are suffering from emotional distress.
Stay secure and alert
After a storm, you will probably be without electricity for a few days. That’s fine. If you have your cell phone with you charged. However, stay alert. If your home has been badly damaged, listen to the police or fire department, or check social media, to find out if there has been any looting in your area. Any damage to your home is likely to be temporary, so in the meantime, you can get yourself organized. If you have time, take a walk through the neighborhood. If you see anything suspicious, write down a description of the person and the car, then call 911. It will probably take a few days to get your home repaired, so in the meantime, you can organize yourself.
Take photos after the damage
The first thing you need to do is assess what the damage is. You have to know what you are dealing with. You don’t want the insurance company to botch things, or you may not have insurance at all. Sometimes the insurance company is friendly and tells you exactly what needs to be done. Sometimes they say you have to hire their agent, who charges you a large fee, to inspect and assess the damage, then tells you what has to happen. Sometimes they say you need to hire a structural engineer, who charges you a large fee, to assess the damage.
Whomever you talk to, there is probably some cost involved, and you don’t want to spend more than you have to. So capturing photos will help you assess the actual damage to negotiate with insurance companies.
There are certain ways a storm can afflict damage so you need to understand it first before going any further.
Be vigilant of your roofs
Yes, do watch out for any leaks and holes in the roof or lost shingles. Any split seam or dented shingles should be a cause of concern. In that case, you will need a professional roofer to rightly assess the damage and coordinate with a reliable insurance provider to fix it as soon as possible.
Wind-stricken doors and windows
Strong winds accompanied by dust and debris can easily break or damage doors and windows and you need to figure out whether you need a repair or a replacement.
Water damage can affect appliances
Water can damage appliances like Air conditioners and flood your basement or crawl area. It can also seep into your walls and develop mold issues to cause problems for wood, furnishings, or carpets.
Prevent further damage
If the damage is causing peril for your health and security by paving way for heavy winds, rainwater, and dust particles then take immediate steps like covering the holes or damaged areas with plywood or tarp. The next step should be contacting damage restoration services in columbus ohio immediately to get back to normal life.
Finally, lay your insurance claims
Get in touch with your insurance agent and provide him with the photographs you have taken and also the required documentation. Only they can determine what you can claim in your insurance cover but do remember to keep the evidence in hand.
Conclusion
Roofs damaged from strong winds. Windows damaged from broken glass. Lawns damaged from trees or branches falling onto them. And, of course, expensive damage from water leaks. It’s never fun to clean up the mess after a major storm has kicked up lots of wind and chaos. Storm season is here. Tornadoes, hurricanes, you name it. All are devastating to communities, causing millions of dollars worth of damage to properties. Houses are ripped apart, roofs were torn clean off. Some are never rebuilt what with the damage being too extensive. It can be a complete nightmare. And did you know that 80% of all-natural disasters are meteorological related? When your home is damaged by a natural disaster or any reason for that matter, you need expert advice on how to move forward with the restoration process.
The best way to prepare for damages is to have a dependable disaster-response team on standby. Make sure you have your contractor’s details so if your property suffers a flood or other extreme damage, they will be able to get in touch with you. It’s also smart to keep your details up-to-date with trusted professionals like electricians, plumbers, and roofers. Can you get your insurance company to pay out on time? Or will they refuse to honor your policy? Will they tell you that you’re not covered for storm damage because technically it wasn’t a hurricane? Or even worse, did something happen to an expensive piece of equipment? You’ll get fast and friendly service from a licensed restoration contractor who’s been in business for quite a time.
