Emotions run high as communities assess the full extent of devastation caused over the weekend. About 40 tornadoes tore across the Midwest, including Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Kansas, as well as a few down in Texas. Some reports show around a hundred tornadoes touched down over the tumultuous weekend. It’s clear there is much work ahead to recover from this disaster. But where do you start?
If this whirlwind of devastation affected you, then you most likely asked yourself that very question: Where do I start?
When you experience such a level of devastation that rips your entire life from its foundation and scatters it about, it becomes almost impossible to think straight. The flattened view of homes and memories before you is captioned by children’s confused cries as they search for their Wubbie or bicycle – the equivalent of an emotional tornado. Where do you find time to pick up the pieces of littered remnants of your home and everything within it?
Recovery & Claim Tips
- Take care of yourself and your family and make sure you’re all safe.
- The first step is to take pictures. Take pictures of everything even if you’ve already filed with your insurance company and a carrier adjuster came out to take photos. Take your own! Often, without photos and proof, the carrier may pushback and fight covering certain things.
- Locate a copy of your policy, if possible. If you have an online account, most insurance carriers will provide a copy of your policy there. If you don’t have an online account, see if you can create one. This is the quickest route to your full policy!
- Note your deductible and coverage for Additional Living Expenses or ALE. These funds will be critical. They will cover a place to stay while your property is being assessed/repaired, food, and other necessities.
- Your insurance company will probably issue a check for Additional Living Expenses sooner rather than later so you can establish somewhere to stay and take care of daily living expenses.
- If you have downed trees and/or tree debris, be mindful that your policy may not cover much for tree removal. Tree removal companies won’t be taking this into account when they’re cleaning up, but they’ll get paid one way or another. A typical residential homeowner’s policy will cover $1,000 for tree debris with $500 allowed per tree. A full tree removal will be $3-$6k.
- Utilize local resources – News 6 WOWT has a list of resources for Nebraska and Iowa, as well as how we can all help as a community. For Oklahoma, visit The Oklahoman for a list of resources, which will update as more information becomes available.
Next Steps
The next steps become increasingly complicated and time consuming. The claims process can take 6 months to a year or longer. Do you have an additional 20 hours available to spend on a claim for the next 6 months to a year on top of your normal life? I know I don’t and most other people don’t either.
Are you prepared to tackle all that is required in the claims process?
Unlike the carrier adjuster, a public adjuster solely has your interests in mind. They can manage the additional 20 hours a week to handle your claim, reducing your burden. Public adjusters are experts in their field. They will advise and assist you throughout the entire claims process, eliminating those nagging questions and uncertainties you have right now.
What should I do?
Where do I start?
How do we get through this?
Premier Claims is familiar with disaster response and aiding property owners with claims, and this time, it’s in our own backyard. Our experts are here to help our community rebuild and heal from this tragedy. For more support, reach out to our team today: https://premier-claims.com/storm-damage/
By: Ashley Workman | Sr. Paralegal & Licensed Public Adjuster
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