A devastating storm like a tornado comes out of nowhere. There is no way to plan for it. There is nothing you can do when it is approaching your home. With home insurance, you may be able to secure financial support to make repairs after it occurs. Here's what you can and should do.
Tornadoes tend to do damage to a large area. As such, your home insurance company should mobilize to help you as quickly as possible.
Contact Your Agent for Immediate Help
When a tornado occurs, your first steps should be to listen to emergency officials. Seek out every person in your home. Be sure they get medical care as necessary.
Then, walk around your home. Find out where the damage is on every side of the home. Do not forget the roof. If a tornado destroyed your home or a large part of it, do not attempt to enter the home. It may be unsafe. Instead, wait for emergency workers to come to your home. They can turn off the gas, water lines, and electric to the property.
Then, contact your home insurance agent. In all cases, take extensive photos of the damage. Be sure to capture all images of missing articles in your home. If you have clothing tossed around the yard or furniture that has damage, take photos of this, too. The more information you can provide to the agent, the better your claims process.
If the home is a total loss, your insurer will often help you find alternative accommodations. This depends on the type of coverage you have. You might need to have living expenses coverage, for example. If there is damage to the home’s roof that could worsen if left exposed, your insurance company can sometimes help you to obtain emergency roof protection.
What to Do in the Days to Follow
After such an event, work closely with authorities to minimize damage to your family. You may want to visit your property, and you can, but only do so if emergency personnel tell you it is safe to do so. Work to collect what you can. Then, work with your insurance company to determine the value of what you lost.
This should include:
- Damage to the structure
- Loss of personal property
It may take time, but you can overcome the loss from a tornado if you have the right type of coverage in place to help you. Contact an agent at R.V. Johnson Insurance before disaster strikes.