What To Do First After Storm Damage

After storm damage, your first priority is safety. If your home or business has flooding, electrical concerns, major roof damage, fallen trees, broken windows, or possible structural issues, stay out of unsafe areas and call emergency help if needed. If it is safe to do so, take reasonable steps to stop the damage from getting worse, such as shutting off water, placing a bucket under an active leak, or arranging temporary protection for exposed areas.

Next, document the scene before anything is moved, removed, or repaired. Take photos and videos of the damage from multiple angles!

What to document:

• Roof Leaks
• Water Intrusion
• Damaged Ceilings
• Flooring
• Drywall Damage
• Siding
• Windows
• Gutters
• Fallen Branches
• Standing Water
• Damaged Inventory
• Damaged Personal/ Business Property

The more complete the documentation is, the harder it may be for an insurance company to later claim the damage was not there or was not storm-related.

Then, before the restoration process gets too far ahead, secure guidance for the insurance side of the recovery. This does not mean delaying emergency cleanup or avoiding a restoration company. It means bringing in Ashford DiMartino & Jones early so the documentation, communication, and claim process are protected while the physical restoration begins. DiMartino can help you understand what to keep, what to ask, what to avoid signing too quickly, and how to make sure the insurance company does not artificially limit the scope of the storm damage restoration you may need.

Who Calls the Restoration Company?

Many property owners are unsure who is supposed to call the restoration company after a storm. In some cases, you the homeowner or business owner calls directly because water is entering the property or repairs need to begin quickly. In other cases, the insurance company may recommend a preferred vendor, or a contractor may suggest bringing in a restoration team. There is nothing wrong with getting emergency restoration help when the property needs it. SERVPRO and other restoration companies can play an important role in water removal, drying, cleanup, tarping, debris removal, and repairs.

The important thing is to remember that the restoration company, the insurance company, and the property owner may not all have the same role. Restoration professionals help address the physical damage. The insurance company evaluates what it believes should be paid. Ashford DiMartino & Jones helps property owners protect the insurance recovery connected to the restoration work. Before you assume the insurance company’s preferred vendor, first estimate, or first inspection tells the whole story, it may help to have DiMartino review what is happening and make sure your claim is not being limited too early.

Working With Your Insurance Company

After storm damage, your insurance company may assign an adjuster, request documentation, inspect the property, review restoration estimates, and decide what it believes is covered. This process can feel official, but the insurance company’s first position is not always the final word. Problems can arise when the adjuster misses damage, the estimate is too low, the insurer questions whether the damage was caused by the storm, or the company approves cleanup but refuses to pay for the full repair. This can happen with wind damage, hail damage, roof leaks, storm damage restoration, water damage cleanup, and commercial property losses.

Working with your insurance company does not mean accepting everything at face value. You have the right to ask questions, review the estimate, compare it against contractor or restoration documentation, and get guidance before signing paperwork or settling the claim. Ashford DiMartino & Jones helps property owners communicate with the insurance company, review claim documents, and identify when the insurance recovery may not match the actual damage.

Storm Damage Restoration Is More Than Cleanup

Storm damage restoration is often the first thing people search for after a storm because the physical damage is urgent. If your basement is flooded, your roof is leaking, or water is spreading through the property, cleanup cannot wait. But restoration is not only about removing water or repairing visible damage. It is also about creating a clear record of what happened, what was damaged, what needs to be repaired, and what the insurance company should consider when reviewing the claim.

If that record is incomplete, the insurance company may later argue that certain damage was unrelated, pre-existing, cosmetic, or not covered. That can leave the property owner paying for repairs that should have been part of the recovery. This is why early guidance matters. DiMartino helps property owners protect the insurance side of storm damage restoration while contractors and restoration companies focus on the physical work.

Common Problems After Storm Damage

Storm damage claims do not always go wrong all at once. Sometimes the problems show up slowly as the claim develops. The insurance company may say the roof damage is old. It may claim hail damage is cosmetic. It may argue that wind damage did not cause the leak. It may approve water mitigation but deny related repairs. It may leave out labor, materials, code requirements, overhead, or restoration costs needed to return the property to its pre-loss condition.

In a hail damage roof insurance claim, the insurer may agree that hail occurred in the area but dispute whether it damaged your specific roof. In a storm damage roof insurance claim, the insurer may approve a small patch when the contractor believes more extensive work is needed. These issues matter because a low estimate can shape the entire recovery. If the insurance company limits the scope early, the restoration process may become harder, slower, and more expensive for the property owner.

Why Documentation Matters Before Repairs Begin

Documentation is one of the most important parts of storm damage restoration. Photos, videos, estimates, invoices, moisture readings, inspection reports, and communication records can all help show what happened and what repairs are needed. Before damaged materials are removed, before drywall is torn out, before debris is hauled away, and before repairs begin, the damage should be documented as thoroughly as possible. If emergency work must happen immediately, document as much as you can before and during that process. Keep copies of everything connected to the restoration and insurance claim!

This includes:

• Insurance Letters
• Claim Numbers
• Adjuster Reports
• Contractor Estimates
• Restoration Invoices
• Emails
• Text Messages
• Receipts
• Photos from anyone who inspects the property

With Ashford DiMartino & Jones, we can help review these materials and identify whether the insurance company’s estimate matches the documented damage.

Storm Damage Restoration for Homes and Businesses

Storm damage can affect homes, businesses, rental properties, apartment buildings, retail spaces, offices, warehouses, and other commercial buildings throughout Merrillville and Northwest Indiana. Homeowners may be dealing with roof leaks, flooded basements, damaged siding, water intrusion, damaged flooring, or interior repairs. Business owners may be dealing with damaged inventory, interrupted operations, lost income, tenant concerns, emergency cleanup, and pressure to reopen quickly.

Commercial storm damage claims can become especially complicated because the insurance company may dispute not only the physical damage, but also the cost of repair, the timeline for restoration, and the financial impact on the business. Whether the property is residential or commercial, the recovery process should protect both the building and the insurance claim connected to it.

When To Contact Ashford DiMartino?

You do not have to wait until your claim is denied to contact Ashford DiMartino & Jones.

It may be helpful to reach out when storm damage first happens, when a restoration company is beginning work, when an insurance adjuster is scheduled to inspect the property, or when you receive an estimate that seems too low. You should also consider contacting DiMartino if the insurance company is delaying the claim, disputing the cause of the damage, refusing to pay for certain repairs, ignoring contractor estimates, questioning storm damage restoration costs, or pressuring you to accept a settlement.

The earlier DiMartino understands what is happening, the easier it may be to help protect the documentation, review the policy, and identify issues before the claim becomes harder to fix.

Serving Merrillville and Northwest Indiana

Ashford DiMartino & Jones helps homeowners, business owners, landlords, commercial property owners, homeowners associations, and property managers throughout Merrillville and Northwest Indiana with storm damage restoration guidance and insurance claim support. The firm understands that storm damage can affect more than a building. It can disrupt your family, your business, your tenants, your income, and your sense of security. When the insurance recovery does not match the actual damage, the process becomes even more stressful.

Whether your loss involves storm damage restoration, water damage cleanup, storm roof repair, wind damage, hail damage, roof leaks, commercial property damage, or a disputed insurance claim, Ashford DiMartino & Jones can help protect the recovery while the property restoration moves forward.

(Note: We also have dedicated hubs for our neighbors in Crown Point and Chesterton.)