Storm Damage Insurance Claim Checklist (Use This Before You Call Your Insurer)

Before you call your insurance company after a storm, stop and spend 30 minutes doing this first. Adjusters move fast, initial estimates often miss hidden damage, and anything you fail to document before cleanup begins may be excluded from your claim. This checklist walks you through what to photograph, what to write down, what to save, and what to avoid, so when you do pick up the phone, you’re in the strongest possible position.

Step 1: Make Sure the Property Is Safe to Enter

Before you document anything, the building has to be safe to walk through. Storm damage can compromise structural integrity in ways that aren’t obvious from the outside.

Check for these hazards before you go inside:

• Downed or sagging power lines near the structure, if any are touching the building, call your utility company (Xcel Energy or your local co-op) before entering.
• Gas odor, if you smell sulfur or rotten eggs, leave immediately and call the gas company from outside.
• Structural lean or visible rafter collapse, if the roofline looks uneven or you can see sky through the ceiling from the doorway, wait for a professional assessment.
• Standing water combined with electrical outlets or panels, water conducts electricity. Do not wade through flooded rooms with live circuits.

If the structure is safe, proceed. If it isn’t, document what you can from the exterior and wait.

Step 2: Document Everything Before You Touch Anything

This is the most important step on this list, and the one most homeowners skip in the rush to start cleaning up. Insurance adjusters are trained to look for evidence of pre-existing conditions and to question damage that wasn’t photographed before mitigation began. Your documentation is your evidence.

What to photograph:

• The exterior of the building from all four corners, including the roofline
• Every point of visible entry, where wind, water, or debris got in
• Interior rooms affected, shot wide first (the whole room), then close-up on the damage itself
• Standing water, waterlines on walls, or wet flooring, photograph the depth and spread
• Damaged personal property in place, before it’s moved
• Your HVAC unit, water heater, and electrical panel if they were in an affected area
• Any storm debris still on or in the property (tree limbs, hail, roofing material)

What to write down:

• The date and approximate time the storm hit
• A room-by-room description of what you’re seeing (water in northwest corner of basement, approximately 4 inches deep; ceiling drywall collapsed in second bedroom, roughly 8×10 foot section)
• The make, model, and approximate age of any damaged appliances or mechanical systems
• Serial numbers from damaged equipment if you can safely access them

What to save:

• Damaged materials that get removed during emergency mitigation, your adjuster may want to inspect them. Stack them somewhere dry if possible.
• Receipts for any emergency purchases (tarps, a sump pump, a hotel stay if the home is uninhabitable)
• Text messages or voicemails from contractors, neighbors, or local emergency management

If your phone camera is all you have, use it. Timestamp is built in. Back everything up to cloud storage before you do anything else.

Step 3: Take Emergency Protective Measures, But Document First

Your insurance policy almost certainly requires you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage. If a tree went through your roof and rain is still falling, you need to tarp it. If a window is gone, board it. This is called mitigation, and it’s your responsibility.

What you should do:

1. Photograph the damage before you cover or board anything. Tarping a hole before you photograph it creates a documentation gap.
2. Cover roof openings with heavy-duty poly tarps, secure them with weighted boards, not just staples, if wind is still a factor.
3. Board broken windows and doors to prevent rain intrusion and unauthorized entry.
4. Extract standing water if you have access to a wet/dry vac or submersible pump. Every hour water sits against wood framing or drywall accelerates the damage.
5. Save your receipts for every material you buy. Reasonable emergency mitigation costs are typically reimbursable.

What you should NOT do:

• Do not make permanent repairs before the adjuster inspects. Replacing shingles, patching siding, or repainting before the claim is documented can result in those costs being denied.
• Do not dispose of damaged materials until the adjuster has seen them or explicitly released them.
• Do not sign any contract with a restoration company that requires you to assign your insurance benefits to them (this is called an Assignment of Benefits, or AOB). In Minnesota, this arrangement has been used to create disputes between contractors and carriers that leave homeowners in the middle.

Step 4: Contact Your Insurance Company With the Right Information Ready

Once you have your documentation and your emergency mitigation is in place, call your insurer. Have the following ready before you dial:

• Your policy number
• The date of loss
• A brief, factual description of what happened (“A severe thunderstorm on [date] caused a large tree limb to penetrate the roof above the second-floor bedroom and subsequent rain intrusion damaged the ceiling, walls, and flooring below.”)
• Your photo and video documentation backed up and accessible
• Any receipts from emergency mitigation

Ask the adjuster:

• What is the claim number, and how do I reach you directly?
• When will you be on-site to inspect?
• Am I covered for additional living expenses if the home is uninhabitable?
• Is there a deadline by which I need to submit a proof of loss?

Write down the name of everyone you speak with and the date and time of the call. Keep a claim log, a simple notes app entry works, from the first call through final payment.

Step 5: Understand What Comes After the Adjuster Visit

The adjuster’s estimate is a starting point, not a final number. If the scope of damage grows during restoration, and with storm damage, it often does, because water behind walls or under flooring isn’t always visible on day one, you can file a supplemental claim.

A few things to know about the process from here:

• Actual Cash Value vs. Replacement Cost Value: Your policy likely pays one or the other. ACV policies deduct depreciation from the payout; RCV policies pay what it costs to replace materials at today’s prices. Know which you have.
• The two-check system: If you have a mortgage, your lender is likely a co-payee on your insurance check. You’ll need to work with them to release funds. This is normal and your lender’s loss-draft department handles it routinely.
• Drying timelines: Structural drying after storm-related water intrusion typically takes several days with professional equipment. Rushing this phase to start reconstruction leads to mold growth inside wall cavities, sometimes not visible until months later. A restoration company working to IICRC S500 standards will use moisture meters and thermal imaging to confirm materials are dry before closing walls.
• Permit requirements: In Morrison County, structural repairs and roofing work above certain scopes typically require a permit. Make sure your contractor pulls the right permits, an unpermitted repair can create problems when you sell the home.

If the storm damage at your property involves water intrusion, structural compromise, or anything beyond a straightforward shingle replacement, it’s worth having a restoration professional walk the property before or alongside the adjuster, not to inflate the claim, but to make sure hidden damage doesn’t get missed. Heritage Restoration LLC serves Little Falls and the surrounding Morrison County area. If you’re working through a storm damage claim and want a professional assessment, call (320) 733-8868.