How to Recover After A Tornado

Did you know that tornadoes can cost over $1billion of damage to properties every year? These don't mean total damage - not in every case - but even those minor repairs add up. Most buildings in th eU.S are not built to survive the fierceness of a tornado, so if one hits your area, you need to be ready for it. Not so much in the sense that you can stop it, but so that you can recover quickly after it passes through. 

You cannot eliminate the damage that a tornado will cost your building, but there is so much that you can do to mitigate those risks that come with living in a part of the country prone to tornadoes. For example, having the right insurance and knowing a Public Adjuster who can help you with the claim on your home afterwards is going to be invaluable to you. You need to be ready for a tornado, sure, with weather alerts and boards ready to go over the windows. But what about afterwards? What do you do to recover without too much loss of cash? Let’s look:

Image Source: Pexels

The first thing to do when a tornado has passed is to check everyone in your home is safe. You need to make sure that the kids aren't too upset and you need to keep an ear on the weather. Sometimes, tornados touchdown in clusters and you need to know if there is more to come. You should stay with your family and wait in the safest possible place for the emergency services to arrive and assess you. Stay away from any heavy damage and watch out for power lines that have come down. You don't want the kids to step on broken glass and other sharp objects, either.

Next, you must contact your insurance company. When things are clear, you need the damage to your home and car assessed. Home and contents insurance are a must and these will have the right clauses for weather disasters. Review your policy and make sure that you have a list of all the damage that your property has taken from the tornado. It’s not just the exterior of the building, either. You need to know what the damage is to the grounds and any outdoor equipment, too.

Be aware of the fact that there are those who will try to convince you into bogus plans for insurance after a disaster. It’s a vulture's world out there and there are people who will try to take advantage of you when you are at the most vulnerable time of your life. When you can start to rebuild, choose only local companies that you know. You can help those who have also been affected by giving them work. They will be as empathetic to the damage you’ve suffered as they will have, too. Your children may need to spend time with relatives who are out of state while building recommences if you have nowhere to go.