How to Manage Storm Damage Before Professional Help Arrives

9/18/2020 (Permalink)

Dallas home with Tornado damage

Especially in North Texas, the thunderstorms that come rolling across the city can cause severe damage, leaving homes and businesses upset and at risk in their wake. Coming home to an uprooted or fallen tree (or two) can inflict costly damage, particularly if you don’t know how to ensure it doesn’t get worse before it can be properly cleaned up. That’s why it’s important to know how to manage storm damage before professional help arrives.

Storm damage comes in all shapes and sizes—it doesn’t fit into one clear box, but there are a few general steps to take to manage storm damage immediately after it happens:

1. Don’t Go Outside Until You Hear the Okay

Whenever severe storms, tornadoes, or other natural disasters have watches or warnings around you, take caution! Make sure you monitor your radio and your phone to hear the okay to leave your home when the threat of the storm has passed. Your safety and well-being always should come first.

2. Document the Damage

Before doing anything else, take out your phone and snap pictures of all the damage. This is essential to make any insurance claims on property damage that you have sustained due to a storm. By having photos of the damage before any cleanup has occurred, you’re more likely to be able to claim the maximum amount of coverage from your insurance that you can in order to cover the costs.

3. Cover Any Areas Where More Water Could Enter

If your roof or home has any holes or damage that allows water to continue to enter your home, make sure you cover them to the best of your ability with a tarp or something else to prevent more water from entering. Chances are, rain may still be pouring down after you sustain some storm damage, and you never know when it may start up again even if it has stopped.

4. Remove Excess Water

Is your basement now a mini-ocean? Do your best to remove any excess water you can by the bucketful or with a shop-vac. However, don’t attempt to do this until you are certain that there is no electrical damage and you aren’t at risk of your power channeling itself through the standing water. 

In all that you do after storm damage occurs, be sure to take caution and keep your safety in mind first and foremost. Once you have the time and signal to do so, call a local professional restoration company like SERVPRO of Grapevine/Northeast Tarrant County to get your place looking back to normal. You can reach us at 817-595-2506.