The Northeast has taken its share of blows in the last few years. Cape Cod and Southeastern Massachusetts took it hard last year, suffering damage from several Nor’easters that ripped up shorelines, property and homes. Good storm preparation can help protect your home from storms, but when your house takes damage we recommend following a few simple steps to discover and document storm damage.
Not checking your home for damage immediately after a storm and avoiding replacements right away can cost you serious money in home repairs down the road. To safeguard your family and protect your investment, take stock of how your home stood up to the tough weather.
Get your camera
When the weather clears you’ll want to inspect the interior and perimeter of your home to insure that no damage to your interior walls, windows, siding, and roof has occurred. Common areas to check for water damage include you home’s basement, windows, ledges and interior ceilings.
Should you find yourself incurring exterior, water or window damage this storm season the first thing you’re going to need to do is take photos of the damaged area for your records. Insured property owners should receive coverage for some or all the damage caused by extreme weather.
What you’ll need to do is take a self appraisal of the damage including:
- Condition: How did the home appear before and after the incurred damage?
- Location: Where did the damage occur? What part(s) of the home were affected by the storm?
- Cause: How did the damage occur? What was the specific cause that led to the property damage?
- Description: In your own words, create a detailed account of what happened during the hurricane to accurately account for how the damage occurred.
Looking for additional resources? We recommend the Massachusetts Mass.gov storm recovery website and the Rhode Island emergency management website.
