Returning Home After a Hurricane

Tips For Returning Home After a Hurricane

We are all exhausted by the emotional toll this hurricane season has brought upon us. Returning home after evacuating from a hurricane, only to find your home damaged, or worse, uninhabitable, is the worst nightmare. It is easy to be overwhelmed with what to do first. 

Let’s take it one step at a time, together. 

Florida Attorney Jason Melton discusses the most important tasks to focus on if a storm damages your home in the video. These tasks aim to keep your loved ones safe and protect your rights as a property owner. His advice is to:

1. SURVEY: Examine the area outside your house for cracks in the foundation, sagging roofs, downed power lines, etc. If you smell gas or propane (or hear any hissing noise), leave immediately and contact the fire department. Keep your eyes peeled for any snakes, rodents, or other animals on your property. Remember to turn off the electricity and water until a professional can check their safety.
2. DOCUMENT: Document all the damage to your home with photos and videos using your cellphone. This includes furniture, flooring, water lines, and anything else damaged. 
3. CLEAN UP & REMEDIATE: If your home floods, assume there is mold damage and throw out all exposed food, beverages, medications, and waterlogged items. Anything plastic has the potential to be contaminated, so wear masks and gloves to ensure you don’t get sick. Keep any pieces of damaged drywall or flooring because insurance adjusters may want to see this in person. 

How to File an Insurance Claim After a Storm

1. FILE AN INSURANCE CLAIM ELECTRONICALLY: If you need to file an insurance claim, do so immediately, but make sure you have written communication with your adjuster to prove that you have fulfilled your obligations as a policyholder. Email correspondence is best. 
2. KNOW WHO YOUR ADJUSTER WORKS FOR: If an adjuster comes to your home to examine damage, make sure they work for your insurance company rather than a public adjuster who will charge you a fee for their services. 
3. CHECK IN WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS to be sure they are safe, if they need help on their property, or if they are missing anything, like a pet, vehicle, or piece of furniture so that you can be aware of it and if you stumble upon it.
4. CALL WHITTEL & MELTON WITH ANY QUESTIONS: After Hurricanes Helene and Milton, we want insurance companies to be held accountable for fully compensating their customers so that our communities can recover.

• How To Make Your Hurricane Damage Claim Online
• Do not Get Hurt Repairing Your House After a Hurricane
• Understanding a First Party Claim
• Need Legal Help for Hurricane Damage Compensation?
• Hurricane Helene Storm Damage Claims
• What You Should Know About Filing a Post-Storm Insurance Claim
• Florida Division of Emergency Management
• Disaster Contractors Network
• Florida’s Property Insurance Companies
• FEMA
• United Way’s 211
• American Red Cross
• Salvation Army Florida

If a hurricane or tropical storm has impacted your home or business, our experienced Florida hurricane and storm damage claims attorneys at Whittel & Melton are here to assist you every step of the way. From flood damage claims to navigating complex hurricane deductibles, we’ll guide you through the process and fight to get you the compensation you need to rebuild.

Call us today at 866-608-5529 or contact us online for a FREE consultation, and let us help you recover what you deserve.