What should you do if your home has suffered structural damage after a storm?

Bad weather of all kinds can affect your home, and cause structural damage, no matter whether it’s a thunder storm or a hail storm.

If your home has suffered structural damage after a storm, then you’ll need to know what to do.

As well as following our Storm Damage Checklist, here’s what we recommend.

Stay out

Although you may be tempted to try and get your possessions, or to see just how bad the structural damage after a storm really is, it’s probably not safe.

Wait until a professional has had a look and deemed it safe for you and your family to return before going back in.

You’ll also need to think about transport if your car keys were in your home.

Call your insurance company

Call your insurance company as soon as you can, and let them know that your home has suffered structural damage after a storm.

Your insurance company will tell you what to do, and how to find a contractor to repair your home.

RJI Professionals work with the majority of insurance companies, so we can help you file your insurance claim, and get started on repairing your home quickly.

Find somewhere to stay

Your insurance company will advise you as to what to do when it comes to accommodation following structural damage after a storm.

Whilst you might be able to stay with friends or family, if they don’t live locally, you may not be able to.

Knowing whether your insurance policy will pay for hotel rooms for your family is important. You don’t want to be left out of pocket.

Clothes and other essentials

You’ll need to speak to your insurance company and see what to do about clothes and other essentials like toiletries.

You may need to ask about food and sustenance too, so that you can all eat. Whilst eating out at restaurants might be fun for the first couple of days, it can soon get expensive.

Children’s entertainment

If you’ve got young children then you’ll want to make sure that they have plenty to keep them occupied.

Whilst a coloring book and some pens, a cuddly toy or something to read might impress younger children, older children are likely to want their creature comforts and electronic gadgets that they’re used to.

Trying to maintain your children’s routine can be nearly impossible if you’re not at home, so you’ll need to be prepared to compromise and to cut them some slack too.

Work and school

You may also need to let work know if you won’t be in, and you should also inform your children’s school if they’re not going to be there.

If you’re at a local hotel then perhaps you’ll still be able to go to work or school, but if you’re staying with friends or family miles away, it might not be so easy.

Depending on your job, you may not have the things you need to do your job. Perhaps you need your computer, or a uniform, or other special equipment.

Our advice

Once you’ve spoken to your insurance company, you’ll know what you can and can’t do, have some idea of how long it’ll take, and you’ll know what your policy does and doesn’t cover.

The sooner you can appoint a contractor to get started on repairing the structural damage after a storm, the sooner you can get back into your home. We work across Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota,  Iowa and Wisconsin, so we’re able to help you.

Need help or advice? Contact us today on 877-ROOF-310 and tell us what you need us to do.