When the worst of a natural disaster passes and the skies clear, the destruction left behind can be devastating.
After the worst has happened, there are steps you can take to mitigate the aftermath. Making sure you and your family are safe, quickly contacting your insurance company to file a claim, and recording the damage to your property can help start your path to recovery.
What to do after a natural disaster damages your home
The safety of you and your loved ones should be your first priority after a natural disaster.
If you are evacuated, do not return to your home to assess the damage or recover any belongings until you are given the all-clear.
If you did not evacuate, and your home seems unstable, you should find a new place to stay. Remember to take any important documents with you, as long as you can get to them safely.T
Tip: The “lost of use” coverage in a standard homeowners insurance policy often helps pay for lodging.
Contact your insurance company
Once you’re out of harms way, the next step you should take is to contact your homeowners insurance company.
Do this as quickly as possible.
Insurance companies work on a first-come, first-served basis. You want to let the insurance company know the extent of the damage to your home. Being early to report damage will impact where you are in the list of others.
An insurance adjuster will visit your property to assess the damage. Then the insurance company will inform you of the size of your payout.
If you have have lost your insurance information or are unsure who to contact, you can reach out to your mortgage servicing company. Your servicer should be able to provide you with a copy of your insurance policy and contact information.
Even if you have your insurance policy and contact information, you will still need to reach out to yoru lender as well.
Managing your mortage after a natural disaster
Even after a natural disaster, homeowners are still on the hook to pay their monthly mortgage payments.
You are expected to continue making mortgage payments as you rebuild or repair, unless you let your lender know there’s a problem.
There may be options availbe from your lender if you have haing trouble making your payments.
If your home is completely destroyed and you would rather move than rebuild, you could file an insurance claim. If the payout is large enough you could pay off the rest of your mortgage. Any extra money would be your equity and that would be yours to keep.
Documenting damage and making repairs
Keep a running list of all the items that have been damaged. Make sure to photograph and document in detail anything that’s been destroyed or affected by the disaster before you start movning anything or making repairs.
Keep in mind, if may be tempting to start cleaning up and making repairs immediately. However, if you’re filing a claim, the insurance adjustor will need to see everything first-hand.
You can make emergency repairs, like covering broken windowns with plastic or putting tarps on a damaged roof to keep rian from causing more water damage.
However, you should make any permanent reapirs unit your insurance company has reviewed the damage.
Finding financial aid after a natural disaster
In addition to your homeowners insurance, you make be eligible for Federal Disaster Aid and other types of assistane.
There may be resources that are unique to your state, such as state programs or hlep from non-profit organizations you can explore.
