When going through a hurricane, your main priority should always be to get yourself and your loved ones to a safe location where you can ride out the storm. After it's over, however, you may return to your home and discover that the wind, rain, flooding, and debris significantly damaged it. While seeing your property and belongings damaged and even destroyed after a hurricane is painful, it's important to take one step at a time to regain a sense of normalcy and restore the home you loved to its previous condition. This step-by-step guide can help you start the process.
1. Make Sure It's Safe To Return
After the hurricane is over, you should first wait until the local authorities declare your area safe. While making your way back, try to stay away from areas that still have floodwater. They may still be contaminated with various chemicals, sewage, and other debris, so it's best to avoid walking or driving through them.
2. Start Assessing the Damages
Once you've safely returned to your property, it's time to determine the amount of damage that the hurricane did to your home. While seeing it in such a bad state may be difficult, this is a crucial step toward getting back to normal. Start by taking a look outside your house and seeing if there is any visible structural damage, such as cracked walls or a damaged roof. If you notice major damage, it's best that you don't enter the house until it's inspected by professionals.
Assuming the house isn't structurally compromised, the next thing you should do is check if your utilities are functioning properly. If you notice things like exposed electrical wiring, a gas smell, or cracked water pipes, you should contact the companies that handle these types of repairs. Not addressing this right away can be dangerous, especially with gas leaks or damaged electrical wiring. You should also assess the water damage, as it's common for large amounts of water to enter your house during a hurricane.
3. Document the Damages and Contact Your Insurance Company
Now that you have a rough idea of the damage that the hurricane did to your property, you can start documenting it. Take as many pictures and videos as you can, including every affected area. If your home flooded, take a picture showing the water line, ideally with a tape measure so the insurance adjuster can document how high the water level was in the home. Then, file a claim with your insurance company, in which you include all the photo and video evidence you took. You will typically be contacted by an insurance adjuster within a few days and they will schedule a time to walk through the home and evaluate the damage for themselves.
4. Make Quick Safety-Oriented Repairs
After assessing and documenting the damage, it's time to shift priority toward making your house safe and livable, at least at a basic level. If your roof has leaks, you can use a tarp or plastic sheets to provide temporary cover. Broken windows are also common after hurricanes, and the quickest solution to that is boarding them up with plastic or plywood. It won't be pretty, but it will keep rain and debris from entering your home. Remember to keep all receipts if you spend money on making these repairs, so you can claim reimbursement from your insurance company.
5. Start Cleaning up the Home
If you have broken windows or experienced significant flooding from storm surge, your house may be full of debris. After getting the essential steps out of the way (assessing and documenting damages, making essential repairs), you can start working on cleaning up each room. Various hazardous materials may have gotten in there, so you should wear appropriate gear like gloves and protective shoes.
First, remove all soaked materials, such as carpets, clothes, and furniture, as they can develop mold pretty quickly. If you notice that mold is already in your house, you should remove it immediately, as it can be hazardous to your health. You may want to consider hiring a remediation company to cut out drywall and take steps to eliminate mold.
6. Prepare Your Home for Future Hurricanes
When restoring your home after a hurricane, it helps to protect it from future heavy storms. There are plenty of things you can do to ensure that it will take much less damage if you're ever hit by another hurricane. First of all, you should choose a reinforced roof and windows when replacing the damaged ones. They're designed to withstand strong winds and heavy rain, so they'll have a much better chance of keeping their structural integrity. You can also upgrade your drainage, so water won't accumulate during heavy storms.
You can also install storm shutters on windows and doors, to prevent them from being damaged in the future. If you live at a lower elevation and are at a higher risk of flooding, you may want to consider PVC paneling as an alternative to drywall. You may also want to consider purchasing flood barriers that can be installed in front of garage doors and doorways.
Seeing your home in poor condition after a hurricane is never easy, but knowing what to do and what not to do can make the whole process safer and smoother. It will take a while for your life to get back to normal, but if you follow these steps, you'll have a great chance of getting there sooner rather than later.