Tornado Claims: What Do I Need to Know?

When a tornado warning happens in your immediate area you need to pay attention, ensuring that you have all of the items that you may need together. It’s a stressful time because there’s no way to know the exact path of a tornado. Bracing for the worst and hoping for the best is sometimes the only way we can keep ourselves together enough to put on that brave face needed for our loved ones’ security and stability. We’ve put together a few things we need to keep in mind when filing a claim after a tornado causes damage to your home or business.

If you experience damages, immediately report them to your insurance company.

• Your policy likely requires you to do so.
• When there’s a natural disaster your insurance company can get inundated with calls and claims in the aftermath.
• The quicker you react after a claim, the better customer service and resolution time you’ll have, as the daunting work of resolving claims, for your insurer, has not begun yet.

Any expenses due to the loss caused by the tornado should be meticulously documented.

Keeping this documentation is vital as some may be reimbursable by your insurance company. A tarp for your roof, to protect your property from getting more damaged, or a hotel stay and food because your home is “unlivable” may be covered, or reimbursable.

Document all damage to your property.

• Take pictures and videos of your property. You must prove your loss to your insurance company.
• You must keep an accurate inventory of items that were damaged or destroyed.

If your insurance company sends an adjuster to survey the damage be available for their visit.

Being present for their visit means that you can go over the extent of the damages and point things out that could be missed or overlooked. If you feel you’d like to have your own public adjuster review the claim and property, calling our team at Gables Insurance Recovery is always an option.

Re-read your insurance policy, making note of things that aren’t clear.

It’s a great idea to read over your insurance policy to see exactly what is covered and isn’t. If there are portions of your policy that you don’t understand ask your insurance agent to explain them to you so that everyone is on the same page.

If you’re unsure of your policy’s additional living expenses ask your agent.

The majority of homeowner’s policies have “ALE” to cover having to stay elsewhere. This means that you could be reimbursed if you need to stay outside of your home while repairs are being done on your property and may also cover the food you need to purchase if your kitchen is out of order during this time.

If you’d like any more information, or assistance on a claim because of a tornado, the Gables Insurance Recovery team is happy to help you get your life back together.