After the storm: what to do in the first 48 hours
A plain-English checklist for the first two days after hurricane or storm damage — the steps that protect your claim before an attorney ever gets involved.
The hours right after a storm are chaotic, and that’s exactly when the decisions that make or break a claim get made. Here’s a short, no-jargon checklist you can follow before you talk to anyone.
1. Make sure everyone is safe first
Document nothing until people and pets are out of harm’s way. Watch for downed lines, standing water near outlets, and structural damage.
2. Photograph everything before you touch it
Wide shots of each room, then close-ups of the damage. Get the outside of the house, the roof (from the ground), and any standing water. Timestamps matter — most phones add them automatically.
3. Stop further damage, but keep the receipts
You’re expected to prevent things from getting worse — tarp the roof, move valuables, pull up soaked carpet. Save every receipt. Those costs are usually reimbursable.
Don’t throw anything away yet. Damaged items are evidence. Photograph them, set them aside, and wait until your claim is documented.
4. Find your policy and write down a timeline
You don’t need to understand the policy line by line — just have it handy. Jot down when the damage happened and what you did after.
5. Then get matched
Once you’ve got photos and a rough timeline, that’s the right moment to start a claim. We’ll match you with a vetted Florida attorney, organize what you’ve gathered, and handle the back-and-forth with your carrier from there.
You don’t have to know the legal steps. That’s the part we built Claim Me to take off your plate.