After The Storm: How To Pick Up The Pieces If Your Home Suffers Storm Damage

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After The Storm: How To Pick Up The Pieces If Your Home Suffers Storm Damage

The damage caused by storms can be absolutely devastating. Whether you’re repairing damage from a rogue thunderstorm, hurricane, flood, or tornado strike, the process can be overwhelming and dangerous.

That’s why we’ve put together an easy how-to guide on dealing with storm damage, so you can rest easy.

Read on.

Take Pictures of Everything

You might think that the first step in dealing with storm damage to start repairing, but you’d be making a big financial mistake if you don’t to take pictures first.

Whether you’re trying to put in a claim with your insurance company or get in touch with your landlord, you’ll need proof of damage before they will send you any kind of repairman or financial assistance.

Try to make sure your pictures are of good quality and show as big of an area as possible.

Call Your Insurance Company or Landlord

Now that you’ve documented everything, you can give your insurance company or landlord a call.

It’s important to call them as quickly as possible and report damage, as some policies have a short window of time for you to report the damage. Not sure how to file an insurance claim? Follow these tips for dealing with storm damage for an easy guide.

If you know that a big storm is coming to your area, you might want to give your insurance company a call and ask questions about your policy. Ask about deductibles and coverage, as well as time limitations for reporting damages.

Patch Things Up

Once you’ve got the go-ahead from your insurance company, you can start the patchwork. Unless your landlord or insurance company told you specifically that they would offer reimbursements, try not to spend your own money patching things up.

You can use towels and buckets for leaks, but save the big stuff for the repairman.

Save Receipts

If you’re going to be given reimbursements, make sure you save all of your receipts. You can be reimbursed for everything from labor to superglue to gas.

Unfortunately, if you don’t save your receipts you won’t be entitled to any sort of refund.

Be sure to verify the repair company with your landlord or insurance provider, as they may require you to contract with specific companies.

Beware of Standing Water

In the event of a flood, be very careful around standing water.

Water is an excellent conductor of electricity, so if the flooding reached any kind of electrical socket or downed powerline outside, you could easily be electrocuted. Electrocution is fatal if the voltage is high enough, and young children and the elderly are especially vulnerable.

Consider Federal Assistance

If you own your house and don’t have insurance, you might want to consider asking for federal aid. Often times, when a disaster strikes the government will activate FEMA and offer aid to those whose homes have been damaged or destroyed.

Contact your local government to see if your city qualifies for federal assistance.

Don’t Wait to Follow These Tips for Dealing with Storm Damage

It’s easy to let storm damage fall through the cracks, especially small damaged like leaks or broken windows. It’s important to start the repair process as quickly as possible, especially from an insurance perspective.

Remember to keep calm and dealing with storm damage won’t end up as bad as you think.

For more ways to make your life easier, check out the rest of our site.

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