First 48 Hours
Storm damage. Here is what to do in the first 48 hours.
After the storm passes, insurance carriers are overwhelmed. Your documentation, speed, and sequencing decide whether you get a fair settlement or a CAT-team drive-by estimate.
Before you do anything: make your home safe.
If there is active fire, gas, electrical risk, or structural collapse risk, evacuate and call 911 first. Property damage is recoverable. Safety is not.
Immediate steps
The first hour
Every minute of the first hour after storm damage shapes the claim that follows. Work the list. Do not skip steps. Do not improvise.
- 01
Verify everyone is safe and accounted for
Check family, pets, neighbors. Medical needs before property needs, always.
- 02
Do not enter damaged structure until officials clear it
Hidden structural damage, live wires, snakes, and contaminated floodwater are real.
- 03
Document the damage from every angle before any cleanup
Wide, mid, close. All four sides of the house. Yard. Debris fields. Every vehicle affected.
- 04
Contact your carrier and open a claim
Get a claim number. Even if you cannot yet assess full damage, the FNOL starts the carrier clock.
- 05
Start emergency mitigation
Tarp, board-up, water extraction, debris removal from openings. Keep receipts for every dollar.
Critical
Document before you clean
Photograph everything first.
Your carrier will question anything you clean up before they see. Documentation preserves scope. Cleanup without documentation collapses scope.
- 01
Roof photos from the ground and, if safe, above
Drone or elevated vantage point. Missing shingles, lifted tiles, creased metal, satellite dish damage.
- 02
Complete exterior walk
Fencing, pool cage, screens, soffits, fascia, gutters, windows, doors, garage door, AC unit, shed.
- 03
Interior inventory of water intrusion
Even if minor at first. Water from storm-driven rain through wind-created openings is covered; seepage is usually not.
- 04
Keep your weather report for the date of loss
NOAA wind and rain data corroborates your claim. Screenshot and save it.
What to photograph and video
- ✓All four elevations of the home, wide
- ✓Roof (ground level and elevated if safe)
- ✓Every window, every door
- ✓Pool cage / screened porch
- ✓Fence and gate damage
- ✓Fallen or damaged trees and branches
- ✓Vehicles in driveway
- ✓Interior water intrusion points
- ✓HVAC outdoor unit
- ✓Any debris on or around the home
FNOL
Call your insurance carrier
Once the property is documented and safe, call your carrier. Ask for a claim number. Give the facts. State that you are reserving the right to supplement the claim as the full scope emerges. That is standard language, not a red flag.
Free claim review
Get a free claim review from a licensed Florida public adjuster.
We review your policy and estimate at no cost. If we take your case, our fee only comes from the increased recovery.
- ✓Licensed Florida public adjusters
- ✓We work for policyholders, not insurance companies
- ✓No fee unless we recover more than you were offered
What kind of damage?
Pick the closest match. We will ask for details later.
Do not give a recorded statement yet.
You can decline until you have documented the full scope and, ideally, had a licensed Florida public adjuster review your statement. Once recorded, it is the canonical version of events.
If you know your carrier, read the carrier profile for specifics on how they handle storm damage claims. Each carrier has patterns. Knowing the pattern is half the advantage.
Policy requirement
Mitigate further damage
Your policy requires you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage. Emergency tarps, plumbing shut-offs, board-up, drying, mold control. Keep every receipt. These expenses are reimbursable.
What is reasonable mitigation?
Tarps on a damaged roof: yes. Full roof replacement in week one: no. Water extraction and drying: yes. Finish replacement before scope is agreed: no. The line is "prevent further damage," not "start repair."
Know the traps
Red flags in the first 48 hours
- CACAT team adjuster does a 15-minute walkthroughCatastrophe teams handle volume. Their scope is often a first-offer anchor, not a final assessment. Independent scope is essential.
- WICarrier says damage is pre-existing wear, not stormFlorida roofing law (FS 627.70132) and wind-driven-rain provisions protect policyholders. Wear-and-tear exclusions are routinely overapplied.
- HUHurricane deductible applied when storm was not a hurricane at landfallYour hurricane deductible only applies to named storms. Verify the trigger conditions before accepting its application.
- MAPartial roof repair where matching is impossibleFS 626.9744 requires reasonable matching. You may be entitled to full-slope or full-roof replacement.
- AORoofer pushing AOB in the neighborhood the day afterPost-storm AOB solicitation is heavily restricted (FS 626.8696). Be suspicious of door-knockers.
Free claim review
Still building your claim? We can help right now.
A licensed Florida public adjuster will review your policy and loss documentation for free.
- ✓Licensed Florida public adjusters
- ✓We work for policyholders, not insurance companies
- ✓No fee unless we recover more than you were offered
What kind of damage?
Pick the closest match. We will ask for details later.
Decision
When to call a public adjuster
You should call a licensed Florida public adjuster when the damage is substantial, when the carrier's first response feels like an anchor, when you are being asked to sign things you do not fully understand, or when the carrier is asking questions that feel designed to shift the narrative of cause.
You do not need one for a $500 screen repair. You almost always want one for a $30,000 kitchen restoration. In between, the rule of thumb is: if the claim complexity exceeds the time and expertise you can give it, get representation.
Public adjusters in Florida work on contingency. No recovery over the carrier's first offer, no fee. Our interests align with yours.
No obligation. No fee unless recovery.
Free claim review from a licensed Florida public adjuster.
No obligation. No fee unless we recover more than you were offered.
FAQ
Common questions about storm damage claims
Does my policy cover storm damage to my roof in Florida?+
How is a hurricane deductible different from a standard deductible?+
What is wind-driven rain and why does it matter?+
How long do I have to file a hurricane claim?+
Can I replace my whole roof if only part was damaged?+
What if my carrier insolves after I file a storm claim?+
If you need another one
Related playbooks
Water Damage
Water damage moves fast.
Fire Damage
Fire damage claims turn on scope.
Roof Damage
Roof claims are the most denied property claims in Florida.
Tree Impact
Tree damage covers a wide range: roof penetration, siding impact, pool cage collapse, vehicle crush, fence destruction.
Theft / Vandalism
Theft claims rise or fall on documentation.
Vehicle Impact
Vehicle impact claims are multi-policy situations: their auto, your home, possibly their bodily injury, and sometimes municipal liability.
Go deeper
Deeper claim resources
Claim Process Guide
Every stage of a Florida insurance claim.
Florida Insurance Law
Statutes that protect policyholders.
Denied Claims
When carriers deny and how to fight back.
Claim Types
Every major damage category.
Carriers
Florida carrier profiles.
Glossary
Every claim term defined.
Help Center
Common problems homeowners face.
Case Studies
Real Florida settlements.
Calculators
Decision and settlement tools.
Storms
Every major Florida storm profiled.
Locations
All 67 Florida counties.
First 48 hours
Other emergency playbooks
Theft or vandalism. Here is what to do in the first 48 hours.
Another emergency response playbook.
Tree impact. Here is what to do in the first 48 hours.
Another emergency response playbook.
Vehicle hit my home. Here is what to do in the first 48 hours.
Another emergency response playbook.
Water damage. Here is what to do in the first 48 hours.
Another emergency response playbook.
Free claim review
Your policy says more than you think. Find out what you are actually owed.
Licensed Florida public adjusters. Free claim review. No recovery, no fee.
- ✓Licensed Florida public adjusters
- ✓We work for policyholders, not insurance companies
- ✓No fee unless we recover more than you were offered
What kind of damage?
Pick the closest match. We will ask for details later.
Browse more