If you live along the Gulf Coast, there is a good chance your home or business may be affected by hurricane damage during hurricane season. Whether you are new to the Gulf Coast or been through many hurricanes, it is important to be prepared not only for the storm itself but be prepared for the recovery process if your home or business is in the storm’s path. Here are 6 tips for recovery from hurricane damage along the Gulf Coast.
The first thing you should do when a hurricane strikes is take stock of the damage to your home or business. Do not return to your home until local authorities have given you permission. Call your insurance company as soon as possible and ask if they're able to assess damage before they send someone out, or even if they can arrange for an inspection by phone.
The cost of repairs will vary depending on the severity of the damage and how much insurance covers, but it’s going to be thousands of dollars—and in some cases tens of thousands or more. You'll also need time to get everything fixed; it could take weeks before life returns to normal again!
Now that you have accessed the damage and prepared for the cost, it is time to get your insurance company involved. File a claim as soon as possible and provide details of the damage, looses, and any immediate repairs already completed. An adjuster will come out to inspect the damage and provide an estimate of costs to repair. Be prepared by reviewing your policy to know what repairs are covered and that are not to avoid any surprises if you were not aware of your deductible or what is covered by your policy. It is a great idea to review your homeowner’s policy with your insurance agent before Hurricane season if you have not reviewed it recently or since the purchase of the policy. Depending on the severity of the damage to your Gulf Coast home or business, some insurance companies may request photos and estimates from contractors to estimate repair costs instead of sending an outside adjuster. Due to this practice, it is important to document all damage and upfront costs of any immediate repairs or supplies like a tarp to secure the property from further damage.
After the storm is over, it's time to recover. The first step in your recovery process is to find a reputable disaster recovery company that has experience with hurricane damage restoration. A good way to do this is by looking at reviews or asking friends and family for recommendations. Make sure that the company you choose is licensed, insured, and experienced in dealing with hurricane damage repairs, as well as other types of home maintenance needs like electrical wiring issues or water damage repair services. Most importantly, look for companies that offer fair pricing so that you don't end up paying more than necessary for their services after such devastating events!
Removing Flood Water Requires the Right Equipment
Removing floodwater from your Gulf Coast Home or Business is a big job. Itis important to hire a trusted water remediation partner who has the rightequipment to handle this type of natural disaster. Removing water can becompleted with pumps that suck out the water, drain the water through holesdrilled in the floor by a pump truck, or digging it out by hand. Digging waterout by hand should only be a course of action if time is limited. Time is ofthe essence when removing flood water to savage your property, belongings, andto avoid any further damage.
Document Water Damage and Mold
Having the water removed from your property quickly is crucial to the recovery and restoration of your home, business, and belongings. A trusted water remediation partner is also key to recovery since they can not only remove the water, but they will be able to check for mold. If mold is found, they will be able to guide you through the mold removal and clean up process. A detailed inspection and documentation of the mold affected areas and belongings will also be needed for your insurance claim. Take pictures of all rooms affected by flooding and mold growth. Label the photos with dates and times for easy reference later when filing claims or tax deductions related to storm recovery efforts.
Be Prepared for Hurricane Damage Other than Flooding
Hurricanes can cause significant property damage and water damage even if you have not experienced flooding in your home before. Hurricanes have the potential to cause flooding in homes and businesses, but not all hurricane damaged homes will have flood damage. Hurricanes usually produce high winds that destroy homes from sheer force of their wind speed. The high winds also pose a danger if there is anything in the area that is not secure down or cause trees to fall on your home, business, or other objects on your property like fences, storage buildings, and cars.
The good news is Hurricane season is not year-round, but it is important to be prepared if you live along the Gulf Coast. A trusted expert in disaster restoration, water remediation, and mold removal specialists are key partners to have when your homes or business is damaged to ensure you are back to normal as quickly as possible.
