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What To Do If Your Home Sustains Storm Damage?

Natural disasters often occur without your anticipation. Yes, your meteorologist might hint at an upcoming one based on their predictions, but they often can’t predict its severity. Sometimes they might be mild and other times severe, causing damage. 

One of the natural disasters that cause damage is a storm. A storm is characterized as one with strong winds and thunder, lightning, or rain. Suppose your area gets hit by a storm, and it damages your home. What should you do? Do you know there’s a procedure to follow? This is what this article aims to divulge. Read on. 

If you experience stormwater damage, here’s what to do:

Get To Safety

Your safety is paramount during and after a storm. Hence, it should be your first concern before working on your home. If you’re a large household, find out the location of each member and ensure they’re okay. It’d help to vacate your home if it’s damaged and the storm has stopped. However, if it’s ongoing, move to another room with no damage. 

Suppose water has found its way to your floors. Ensure you switch off the main electricity switch to prevent electrocution. It’d also help to unplug all your electrical appliances to prevent damage. 

File An Insurance Claim

An insurance claim ensures you get compensation for the damage the storm has done to your home. Filing for this claim is the next step to take. It means you have to call your insurance provider and inform them of the damage and that you’re making a claim. Most insurance providers will require you to inform them beforehand. Consider working with a storm damage claims expert to help you make the process easier.

However, consider reviewing your insurance policy to check whether you’re liable for compensation. Not all home insurance policies will cover storm damage. You don’t want to go through the hassle of filing for a claim only to be told you aren’t entitled to compensation.

Assess The Damage

Once you’ve informed your insurance provider of the storm damage, it’s time to assess the damage in your home. This stage requires you to inspect your home, inside and outside. It’s important to be keen to avoid missing out on damages. 

This damage could be a caved-in roof, broken windows, collapsed walls, or your household items, among others. Ensure you take up-close pictures of the damage and include a video explaining the previous state of a damaged item. Proceed to send the recordings to your insurance provider.

The evidence you present is what the insurance company will compensate. Therefore, being keen is essential. Consider hiring an adjuster to assist you in assessing the damage from a professional point of view. Their expertise eliminates the possibility of errors, and they’ll help identify issues you might have missed. 

Repair Your Home

After presenting your evidence to the insurance provider, it’s time to repair your home. If the compensation process is taking long, consider using your money as the insurance provider processes and pays your claim. Waiting for the funds might cause delays affecting your home’s use. There’s no doubt you want to restore your home’s condition to how it was before the storm. 

It’s best to hire a general contractor to identify the issues in your home. They’ll also recommend the best course of action and proceed to make the repairs or replacements. Repair is the best solution if the damage is minimal while replacing is ideal if the damage is extensive and it’ll be cheaper to replace than to buy.

During this stage, ensure you work with a professional contractor. They should be qualified and have the right certifications to prove their qualification. Experience is also key; inquire about the years they’ve offered their services. The more the years, the better. 

Storm Proof Your Home

After the repairs, it’s important to protect your home from future storm damage. Although there are times you can’t prevent damage, you can minimize its extent. 

Walk with your chosen contractor and identify possible loopholes. There could be spacing below your door, your windows could have air leaks, the roof could be loose, etc. The contractor will cover the spacing below your door, seal your windows, and reinforce your roof to its trusses. 

With your inside intact, you also want to work on your outdoor space. If the stormwater found its way to your floors, you probably have a drainage issue where your compound’s slope isn’t steep enough. As a result, water flows toward your home instead of away. You can raise the area around your foundation by piling a considerable amount of soil. The ground level will be higher than the lower parts adding to gravity.

Conclusion

This article has established that a storm is something you can’t control. Even if it might cause damage, handling the aftermath isn’t something you should worry about anymore. The discussion above gives tips and guides to assist you during the process. Be sure to implement them in the letter to make the process easier. As you implement, the secret is working with the right team, where everyone fulfills their roles accordingly. Therefore, be wary of whom you hire for assistance.

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