What to Do if Your Roof is Damaged in a Hurricane

When a hurricane hits, the roof on your home might be one of the first things damaged. Roof damage is a nightmare, since a leaky roof threatens to damage the rest of your home. Homeowners must move quickly to mitigate the damage to their property so they can maximize the amount of compensation they receive if they make a hurricane insurance claim.

Below, we offer our best tips for how to respond after a hurricane. If you need help making an insurance claim, please contact Bundza & Rodriguez, which serves all of Volusia County.

Assess Damage from the Ground

You might not know how badly the roof has been damaged, though you could be experiencing some water running down the walls. To assess the roof, avoid climbing up onto it. For one thing, the roof could be weakened and might not support your body weight. You could fall through it or, even worse, be thrown from the roof to the ground and suffer serious injury.

Instead, assess as best you can the extent of damage from the ground. Angie’s Lists recommends looking for shingles blown onto the ground or gutters torn off. Also note water stains on the walls or ceilings inside the home.

Use caution if you enter the attic to look for water damage. The roof might be weakened and could collapse on you.

Contact a Roofing Professional

A professional can safely survey the roof and look for damage. The roofer can also estimate the amount that it will cost to fix the roof.

You’ll definitely want pictures of roof damage to show your insurer, so ask the roofer if he can take pictures for you while up there. These pictures are helpful for establishing what your roof looked like immediately after the hurricane hit.

Mitigate Damage to Your Home

You need to keep things from getting worse. If there is a big hole in your roof, you’ll need a tarp to cover the hole. There are other reasonable steps you must take. For example, if water is leaking, you should cover furniture and other items or remove them from the home to a safe place so they do not suffer more water damage.

However, avoid fixing the roof before your insurance adjuster comes out to look at it. Pictures are helpful, but insurers want to see the damage with their own eyes. Your roofing professional can help you mitigate the damage until you get the go-ahead to actually fix the roof.

Contact Your Insurer as Soon as Possible

Even if your insurer knows a hurricane is landing in Florida, you need to notify them that you have suffered damage. They will also help you identify whether to file a claim.

If you run into trouble making a claim, or if your claim is denied, contact us. The Daytona Beach hurricane insurance claim attorneys at Bundza & Rodriguez have years of experience working with insurance companies and appealing denials. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation by calling 386-252-5170.

Resource:

angieslist.com/articles/tips-assess-and-repair-roof-storm-damage.htm

https://www.daytonalawyers.com/how-to-buy-hurricane-insurance/