What To Do After Hurricane Damage
The days after a hurricane can be overwhelming. Your first concerns may be whether your family or employees are safe and whether you can return to the property. Once those immediate concerns are addressed, decisions made in the days and weeks that follow can also affect your ability to document the damage and pursue an insurance claim.
Hurricane losses can be complicated because a single storm may affect roofs, windows, exterior walls, equipment, and interior areas. Wind and water may both be involved. Some damage is obvious immediately, while other problems become apparent only after an inspection or additional rainfall.
Knowing what to do after hurricane damage can help protect your property and create a reliable record of the loss.
The Hodge Law Firm represents homeowners and businesses in significant hurricane damage insurance claims when disagreements arise over coverage, causation, the scope of repairs, or the amount the insurance company should pay.
1. Make Safety Your First Priority
Do not enter a damaged building until it is reasonably safe to do so.
Hurricanes can leave behind hazards that are not immediately apparent, including unstable structures, electrical problems, standing water, broken glass, damaged trees, and downed power lines. Follow evacuation orders and instructions from appropriate local authorities.
Property can be repaired or replaced. Personal safety should come first.
For businesses, access to damaged commercial property may also need to be controlled until potentially dangerous conditions have been evaluated.
2. Prevent Additional Damage When It Is Safe to Do So
Once conditions allow, property owners may need to take reasonable temporary measures to prevent the loss from becoming worse.
Depending on the damage, that could involve temporarily covering an opening, protecting exposed areas from additional rain, removing standing water, or arranging emergency repairs.
Do not put yourself at risk to perform this work.
When emergency measures are necessary, document the condition before it changes when practical. Photograph the damaged area, the temporary work, and materials that are removed. Keep receipts and invoices associated with emergency repairs.
Avoid unnecessary permanent repairs before the property has been adequately documented and the insurance company has had an appropriate opportunity to evaluate the loss.
3. Photograph and Record the Hurricane Damage
Documentation can become extremely important if questions arise later about what the hurricane damaged.
Take both wide and close photographs. Video can also help establish the overall condition of the property.
Do not focus exclusively on the most obvious damage. Depending on the property, document:
- Roofing and roof-mounted components
- Windows, doors, and exterior openings
- Siding, exterior walls, and finishes
- Gutters, flashing, vents, and drainage components
- Fencing and other exterior structures
- HVAC units and outdoor equipment
- Interior ceilings, walls, flooring, and personal property
- Areas where water entered or accumulated
- Commercial equipment and building systems
- Debris or damaged materials before removal
If possible, preserve photographs or other records showing the property’s condition before the hurricane as well.
The difference between the pre-storm and post-storm condition can become important if the insurer later attributes damage to age, deterioration, maintenance issues, or a previous event.
4. Report the Loss to Your Insurance Company
Review your available insurance documents and notify the insurer of the loss according to the policy’s requirements.
Provide accurate information about what you know. Immediately after a hurricane, however, you may not yet know the complete extent of the damage.
A roof that appears intact from the ground may require closer inspection. Water damage may become apparent later. Commercial buildings may have damage to rooftop equipment or other systems that cannot be fully evaluated immediately.
Keep your claim number and the contact information for the insurance representatives handling the loss.
It is also useful to create a timeline showing when the claim was reported, inspections occurred, documents were requested or submitted, and important communications took place.
For a broader explanation of what happens after a claim is opened, review our guide to the property insurance claims process.
5. Understand That Wind and Water Can Create Coverage Disputes
One of the more complicated issues following a hurricane can be determining how particular damage occurred.
A building may experience strong winds and heavy rainfall during the same storm. Roofing or exterior components may be damaged, followed by water entering the structure. Other properties may face different sources of water.
These distinctions can matter because insurance coverage depends on the policy and cause of the claimed loss.
An insurer may agree that the hurricane affected the property but dispute how water entered or what caused a particular condition. It may attribute some damage to a covered cause and other damage to something it contends is excluded or unrelated.
Our attorneys handle disputes involving hurricane wind damage when causation and coverage become significant issues.
6. Have the Entire Property Evaluated
The insurance company’s inspection is an important part of the claim, but property owners should pay attention to whether the complete loss has been identified.
A hurricane can affect multiple areas and systems within the same property.
Roof damage is particularly important because it may contribute to additional problems inside the building. If the insurer and property owner disagree about the condition of the roof, photographs, inspections, repair proposals, and other evidence may help clarify what happened.
The Hodge Law Firm represents policyholders in disputes involving hurricane roof damage when the extent or cause of roofing damage is contested.
For larger commercial properties, different professionals may be needed to evaluate roofing, mechanical equipment, exterior systems, interior damage, and other portions of the loss.
7. Compare the Insurance Estimate With the Actual Damage
Do not evaluate an insurance estimate solely by looking at the total dollar amount.
Review what the estimate actually includes.
Does it account for all damaged areas? Are the measurements accurate? Does it include damaged exterior components? What repair method does the insurer propose? Has damage identified during later inspections been considered?
A contractor’s estimate and an insurer’s estimate may differ substantially because the two scopes of work are different.
Identifying those differences can be more useful than simply saying the insurance payment is too low.
If the insurer acknowledges coverage but does not provide enough to address the covered loss, our attorneys can evaluate disputes involving underpaid hurricane claims.
8. Keep Records as the Claim Develops
A hurricane claim can continue for weeks or months, particularly when the damage is extensive.
Maintain your own claim file rather than relying solely on records maintained by the insurance company.
Keep copies of estimates, inspection reports, photographs, receipts, invoices, letters, emails, and documents submitted to the insurer. If you have an important telephone conversation, make a note of when it occurred and what was discussed.
If additional damage is discovered during repairs, photograph it before the condition is altered when practical and preserve supporting documentation.
A well-organized record can make it considerably easier to understand the history of the claim if a disagreement develops later.
9. Pay Attention to the Reason for a Denial
If your hurricane claim is denied, identify exactly why.
The insurer may contend that the policy does not cover the cause of loss. It may attribute damage to deterioration or a previous condition. It may dispute whether the hurricane caused a particular area of damage.
A denial should be evaluated based on the insurer’s actual reasoning, applicable policy language, and evidence concerning the property.
A property owner who disagrees with the decision can learn more about denied hurricane insurance claims and the issues that may warrant further review.
When Should You Talk to a Hurricane Damage Lawyer?
Not every hurricane insurance claim requires legal representation. Many legitimate claims are investigated and resolved without litigation.
Legal review may become appropriate when a substantial loss develops into a significant disagreement, such as when:
- The insurer denies coverage for hurricane damage
- Wind and water causation becomes disputed
- The insurer attributes new damage to age or deterioration
- Significant portions of the loss are omitted from the estimate
- The insurer proposes limited repairs that the property owner believes are insufficient
- A large residential or commercial claim remains substantially underpaid
- The claim remains unresolved despite requested information being supplied
The purpose of reviewing the claim is to determine what is actually disputed and whether the available evidence supports further action.
Frequently Asked Questions After Hurricane Damage
Should I make repairs before the insurance adjuster arrives?
Necessary temporary measures may be appropriate to protect the property from additional damage. When practical, thoroughly document the condition before work occurs and keep receipts and records. The circumstances of each loss can differ.
What if I find more hurricane damage after the first inspection?
Document newly discovered damage promptly. Photographs, contractor findings, and other records can help establish what was found and may be relevant to the continuing insurance claim.
What should I keep after filing a hurricane claim?
Keep photographs, videos, estimates, inspection reports, invoices, receipts, correspondence, claim documents, and copies of information provided to the insurer.
What if the insurer says my roof was already old?
Age alone does not determine whether a hurricane caused new damage. The property’s prior condition, post-storm evidence, inspection findings, and other information may become important.
Can I challenge the amount the insurance company paid?
A substantial disagreement over the scope or value of covered repairs may warrant further review. Comparing the insurer’s estimate with other documentation can help identify the specific areas of disagreement.
Get Help With a Disputed Hurricane Insurance Claim
After a hurricane, protecting your property and documenting the loss can put you in a better position to understand whether the insurance company’s eventual decision reflects the damage that occurred.
When a substantial hurricane claim is denied, delayed, or underpaid, The Hodge Law Firm can review the policy, property damage, claim history, and insurer’s position.
Call 409-762-5000 or ask our firm to review your hurricane claim to discuss the dispute with our attorneys
