Post-Storm Checklist
Claims Advocacy / Storm Preparedness / Post-Storm Checklist
When a hurricane and/or strong winds take their toll, contact your emergency response organization and make them aware of damage once it is safe to do so.
| Safety First. If you evacuated your home before the storm, always be careful when re-entering your property after the storm. If there appears to be some serious structural damage, contact local officials before entering your home. Also, report any downed power lines or gas leaks and try to keep the electricity turned off if your home has been flooded. | |
| Damage Assessment. Assess the damage in and around your home and call your insurance carrier or EPIC as soon as reasonably practicable to start the claim process if your home or property sustained any damage. | |
| Protect your Property from Further Damage. Even minor damage to roof shingles or broken windows can lead to water entering your home. Check your ceiling and attic for evidence of water or standing water. | |
| Temporary Repairs. Insurers usually want you to make temporary repairs, such as putting up a tarp to cover an exposed roof or plastic sheeting over broken windows, to prevent any further damage to your property. Take pictures before you make any temporary fixes, and document any supplies or services you had to purchase for these temporary repairs. | |
| Separate Property. With respect to your personal property, and to the extent possible, separate the damaged and undamaged items. Unless there is a safety or health concern with damaged property, do not destroy the damaged items until your insurance company has had a chance to inspect them. | |
| Document/Photograph Damaged Property. Take multiple photographs of damaged rooms, furnishings, personal property (including automobiles), etc., especially for those damaged items you cannot retain until your insurance company has a chance to inspect them. Be sure to enable geotagging (turn on location services) when taking photographs or video, which may help ease your claims process because it verifies the location of your items. | |
| Inventory. Prepare an inventory of the damaged contents in your home, and record serial and model numbers of appliances and household equipment. | |
| Temporary Living Expenses. Save receipts for things like lodging that will document your living expenses while you were out of your home. Many policies contain coverage for Additional Living Expenses (ALE), which covers the extra costs incurred if you need to live elsewhere because your home is rendered uninhabitable as the result of a hurricane (or any other insured disaster). While your home or apartment is being repaired or rebuilt, ALE should cover hotel bills, restaurant meals, etc. - expenses over and above what your customary living expenses would be at home. |