24/7 Emergency Service7 Steps to Take After a Storm Damages Your Home
7/9/2020 (Permalink)
Storms can be pretty cool, until they cause damage.
Severe thunderstorms, along with blizzards, are a perennial concern here in Western New York. They bring enormous amounts of precipitation along with high winds and hazardous conditions for travel, which in turn can cause serious damage to your home and property.
Has your home been damaged seriously in a storm? Here are six things you should do immediately.
Find somewhere to stay.
If there’s been structural damage to your home, it’s likely not safe to stay there until that damage has been repaired. A few minor issues are one thing, but if you have a collapsing roof, collapsing walls, damaged windows or standing water in your home, you need to find alternative lodging.
Shut off the gas.
If you have any reason to believe that your gas lines have been punctured, shut off the gas ASAP. Usually, you’ll notice a problem when you smell gas pervading your home. Trust your senses – switch the gas off.
If there’s standing water, turn off the electricity if possible.
We all know that water conducts electricity. What you might not realize is that storm damage can expose standing water in your home to electricity without you noticing. If there’s any standing water, avoid stepping in it until you can safely turn your electricity off.
Watch out for dangerous debris.
As you navigate your home, electricity and standing water aren’t the only thing you have to worry about. Watch out for things like broken glass, newly exposed nails any anything else sharp that you might not be expecting.
Take as many photos as you can.
Assuming you can safely move around your home, take as many pictures of the damage as you can. You’ll need them as a record when you speak to your insurance company.
Call your homeowner’s insurance agency.
Call your insurance agent ASAP to inform them of the damage to your home. This will enable them to get the ball rolling on a claim so that you can receive payment ASAP for repairs.
Call the restoration specialists at SERVPRO of West Seneca/Lancaster.
Your insurance agent will agree – getting a restoration company involved as early as possible is the key to not only reversing your storm damage quickly, but keeping costs down as well. Call SERVPRO of West Seneca/Lancaster 24/7/365 at 716-674-1103 – we’re here to help!