Hail Claims - Do's & Don'ts 1

Clint C. Blackman III

Do’s & Don’ts

Insurance companies send their “storm adjusters” to schools and train them on how to minimize your claims and damages. So, you need this information on how to prepare your claim.

Do be careful after the storm has passed. Watch out for broken glass, damaged trees and downed power lines. Do not get on a wet roof.

Do make temporary roof repairs as soon as safely possible. You have a duty to minimize the damage to your home as soon as it is reasonably possible. Use emergency roof tarps and remove undamaged personal property from water & storm damaged areas.

Do get samples of hail stones and put them into a baggie in your freezer. Don’t just put them in the freezer…they dehydrate and get smaller over time.

Do take photographs of the hailstones in your yard. Photograph the largest hailstones with a marble, a golf ball or a baseball. Do not use nickels, dimes, oranges or marshmallows.

Do inspect your entire property (house & yard) after the storm. Photograph beaten down shrubs, trees, fences, light fixtures, gutters, broken glass, air conditioning compressors, barbeque grills and anything else that was hit by the hailstones.

Do keep a “storm file” for newspaper stories about the storm that hit your home. Record the TV news programs that report on the storm damage to your area. Write down the wind speeds, size of hailstones, and significant damage in your area as reported on the News.

Do photograph the damage throughout your neighborhood. Photograph damaged roofs, broken skylights, downed trees & limbs, fences, busted up cars and road signs. If the fire department or police respond in your area, photograph the scene.

Do call a roofing repair company as soon as possible to make emergency repairs. Get a few written roofing repair estimates from local, reliable and established roofing companies.