Four Steps to Take When a Storm Damages Your Home
Are you concerned with the functionality of your home after a lightning storm passes through your area? Do you want to follow the right protocol to protect your home for further damages after a storm? Storms and severe weather are common in Florida, and many homeowners stay prepared so they can protect themselves and their homes from extensive damages. When lighting strikes your area or your home directly, it can cause severe damages that also require you to file an insurance claim. As a public claims adjuster in central Florida, we help many clients work through the insurance process after storm damage. There are a few initial steps you want to take when a lightning storm damages your home.
Check Outlets for Functionality
Take the time to go through the house and test each one of your outlets to determine if it still works. When you do this walk-through, take any notes to indicate where the damages are. As you perform this, you will also want to turn on any of the electronics that were plugged directly into these outlets to determine if they also work. Electronics are the most common casualties of storm damage.
Determine Extent of Wiring Damage
In addition to checking all the outlets, you will want to check on the wiring in your home. It may be difficult to do this, as much of the wiring in your home is likely behind the walls. If you are concerned about internal wiring, you will want to call an electrician to check this out for you. Take notice of any frayed wires and electronics that smell strange.
Test Your Phones
If you happen to have landline phones in your home, you will want to check to make sure that these are still working. Because the wiring of your home was likely compromised by storm damage, you may also not have working phones.
Check for Water Damage
When lightning travels to your home, it will likely travel through the wiring or the pipes. When lightning travels through the pipes, it can also damage it by puncturing or breaking the pipes entirely. This can lead to water damage from leaks or even more extensive flooding. Take notice of any potential leaks that may be hidden under the floorboards or behind bathtubs. If you notice any water damage, you'll want to contact the professionals to mitigate any further damage.
These are a few of the steps you need to take when lightning strikes your home. In order to assess the extent of your damages, you want to perform these steps quickly so that you can mitigate any further damage and contact your insurance company. As you work through the claims process, you will want to have the advocacy of a public claims adjuster in central Florida on your side. Contact us to hear how we can help you settle your claim today.
