When a hurricane damages your property, the claim shouldn't be the hardest part.

A single hurricane can lift a roof edge, drive rain through a broken window, and leave flood water at the same address in a matter of hours. The record built in the first days after the storm often decides which category the insurer applies to the loss.

Photograph exterior and interior damage before tarping or cleanup, keep receipts for emergency work, and save every communication with the carrier and any contractor who inspects the property.

Insurers typically send a field adjuster to inspect the property in person before issuing a decision. Documenting the damage before that inspection, and following up in writing afterward to confirm what was discussed, creates a record that can matter later. Roof damage in particular is often hard to access and easy to underestimate during a brief walkthrough.

The days after a storm often matter as much as the storm itself. Power outages, water shortages, and displacement are common, and buildings left standing but exposed to moisture can develop mold in the weeks that follow, a separate and often under-insured problem of its own.