Storm damage insurance claim help: wind, tornado and winter storms

Insurers call the causes of damage perils. After a storm, here’s how the common ones usually line up. Your own policy wording is what counts.

When wind damages a roof, the adjuster decides whether the storm caused the damage or the roof was already failing. Fresh wind damage tends to look different from old wear:

Back it up with dated photos, any shingles that blew off, and weather records. National Weather Service storm reports list tornado, hail and damaging wind reports by date and place. For repair or replace decisions and roof estimate lines, see our guide to the roof claim process. Hail leaves different marks, covered in our hail damage guide.

On larger or disputed claims, insurers sometimes hire an engineer to report on the cause. That report can carry a lot of weight, so work through it one step at a time:

1. Ask for the full report in writing, with its photos.
2. Check what the engineer actually looked at: which slopes, the attic, the inside rooms, and for how long.
3. Compare the stated cause with your dated photos and weather records.
4. Reply in writing. Attach a licensed roofer’s report, or your own engineer’s report on a larger claim.
5. Ask for a re-inspection if key areas were missed.

If you still disagree, our guide on how to dispute a storm claim decision covers next steps. Many policies limit appraisal to disputes about the amount of the loss; whether it can settle cause depends on your state and policy.

Homeowners insurance covers wind. It doesn’t cover flooding, including storm surge pushed ashore by a storm. That needs a separate flood policy, such as one from the National Flood Insurance Program. New flood policies usually have a 30-day waiting period, so a policy bought as a storm approaches usually won’t cover it.

When a storm brings both, there are often two claims, sometimes with two adjusters, each deciding which damage belongs to which policy. Photograph roof openings and wind-blown debris, and mark the high water line on walls before cleanup. See our flood claim guide for the flood side, and our hurricane claim guide if a named storm hit your area.

Most policies require you to protect your home from more damage and to keep records of what you spend. Reasonable costs are usually paid as part of the claim.

• Photograph the damage before the tarp goes on, then again after.
• Tarp holes in the roof and board up broken windows.
• Remove standing water and move belongings out of wet rooms.
• Keep receipts for tarps, plywood, fans and labor.
• Keep the damaged materials, or photos of them, until the adjuster says otherwise.

Hold off on permanent repairs until the adjuster has seen the damage, unless waiting would cause more harm. Our claim checklist keeps these steps in order.

If a tree falls on your house or another insured structure, the policy usually pays to repair the damage and remove the tree. Removal often has a separate limit of about $500 to $1,000, according to the Insurance Information Institute. A tree that falls in the yard without hitting anything insured is generally not covered, though some policies pay to remove one that blocks your driveway. Damage from poor upkeep, like a long-dead tree, may be excluded. A tree on your car is a claim for the comprehensive part of your auto policy.

Cleanup of your own damaged property, like torn siding and roofing, is usually part of the claim. Photograph a fallen tree where it landed before anyone cuts it, if it’s safe, and keep the removal invoice.

Tornadoes

Tornado damage is wind damage under most policies. When a home can’t be lived in, loss of use coverage helps pay extra living costs, like a rental. Our guide to loss of use coverage explains what counts. Keep every receipt from day one.

Winter storms

Damage from the weight of ice and snow is usually covered. Many policies cover burst pipe damage if you took reasonable care to keep the home heated, or shut off and drained the water. With ice dams (ridges of ice that trap melting snow at the roof edge), sudden water damage inside may be covered. Paying a crew to clear the ice itself often isn’t, so ask your insurer first. Our water damage claim guide covers leaks and pipes in detail.