The windows rattle, the lights flicker, and the street outside looks more like a river with every passing minute. Whether you’re watching the radar as a hurricane barrels toward your neighborhood or you’ve just waded through water in your living room, the decisions you make next can mean the difference between a speedy insurance payout and months of costly headaches.
This guide shows you exactly how to avoid that second wave of disaster. You’ll learn how to lock in iron‑clad documentation before the storm and how to move fast on your flood insurance claim once the water recedes. From building a photo inventory to meeting the adjuster with confidence, we’ve packed everything homeowners need into one clear playbook.
Before the Hurricane: Prep to Win Your Claim
A flooded house is stressful enough—the paperwork that follows shouldn’t add to the misery. Here are the best-practice steps that will help your insurance claim sail through faster.
Tackle as many as your time and budget allow, and adapt where your situation differs. Even completing the first two or three items will put you miles ahead of most homeowners when the water finally recedes.
Confirm you actually have flood coverage. While home insurance does cover “water damage,” it typically doesn’t cover floods. Instead, you’ll usually need a separate National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or private-market flood policy. Some homeowners policies may include a special flood endorsement, which adds flood coverage—check your policy carefully to see if this applies to you. No flood coverage? Call an independent insurance agency ASAP to secure coverage; a new policy can take up to 30 days to activate.
Document your home before the water rises. Record a five-minute phone video that walks through every room, zooms in on model/serial numbers, and then circles your exterior. Make sure the date-stamp is visible. Back it up to the cloud and to a USB drive sealed in a zip bag.
Build a waterproof evidence kit. Gather receipts, appraisals, recent renovation invoices, and a spreadsheet of serial numbers. Store digital copies in a cloud folder named “Flood Evidence” and keep hard copies in a fireproof, water-safe box.
Safeguard your critical papers. Scan and encrypt policy documents, IDs, birth certificates, and your mortgage or lease. Email the file to yourself and one out-of-state relative for easy retrieval if devices are lost.
Mitigate to impress the adjuster. Clear gutters, install flood vents, and stack sandbags where water could enter. Photograph your efforts—insurers often reimburse “reasonable and necessary” mitigation expenses.
Set reminders for key deadlines and contacts. Add your insurer’s claim hotline, your insurance agent’s cell, and local emergency-management numbers to your phone favorites.
During the Storm: Safety First
Even the best preparation can’t protect you if you ignore basic safety. Keep these points in mind when the wind is roaring and the water’s rising.
Follow evacuation orders immediately. If local officials say to leave, do it. Your property is replaceable, but lives aren’t. Take your go-kit (IDs, meds, thumb drive, charger) and lock doors/windows as you head out.
Monitor official alerts, not social media rumors. Use a battery-powered NOAA weather radio or the FEMA app for real-time updates on surge levels, curfews, and road closures.
Stay out of floodwater—indoors and outdoors. Six inches of moving water can knock you over; one foot can sweep away a car. Inside, avoid flooded rooms where electrical outlets or appliances are submerged.
Shut off utilities if instructed. Turn off electricity at the main breaker and gas at the meter to reduce fire and electrocution risk if water starts entering the structure.
Keep phones dry and charged. Store devices in zip-bags and use a power bank or car charger. You’ll need your camera—and a charged battery—for post-storm documentation.
Track emergency expenses in real time. Hold on to receipts for hotel rooms, meals, gas, and pet boarding; these may qualify under your homeowners policy’s “loss of use” coverage once the claim is filed.
Hunker down in a windowless interior room on the lowest safe level (above expected flood height) to wait out the storm.
After the Flood: How to File a Flood Insurance Claim
Time matters once the floodwaters recede. The points below walk you through your next steps in logical order—each sub-section can stand alone, but together they form the roadmap most adjusters say leads to faster, fuller payouts.
1. Call Your Insurer Before You Touch Anything
As soon as local officials say it’s safe to re-enter your home, phone your carrier’s claims hotline (or open their mobile app) to open a claim—ideally within 24 hours.
Record the claim number and adjuster’s contact details, and ask whether the company has preferred restoration vendors. Using recommended contractors for emergency work keeps you from footing a bill the insurer later questions.
2. Document Every Inch of Damage
Treat your home like a crime scene—evidence first, cleanup second.
Start outside with a slow 360° video, then move room-by-room indoors, capturing ceilings, floors, closets, and waterlines. Set your phone to display the date and time, and place a tape measure or yardstick in frame to show depth. Back up photos and video to cloud storage before you leave the property.
3. Make Only Emergency Repairs
As tempting as it is to start putting your home back together, your job now is to stop further damage, not begin full restoration.
Tarp roof openings, board broken windows, and pump out standing water—but save ruined materials until the adjuster can inspect them. Keep every receipt for supplies, fuel, and labor; most policies reimburse “reasonable and necessary” mitigation costs when properly documented.
4. Track Your “Loss-of-Use” Expenses
If the house is uninhabitable, homeowners insurance usually covers extra living costs.
Photograph and file receipts for hotel stays, restaurant meals that exceed your normal grocery budget, laundry, pet boarding, storage rental, and additional commuting mileage. A quick phone snapshot of both the printed receipt and the point-of-sale screen creates indisputable proof for reimbursement.
5. Meet the Adjuster Like a Professional
Have your pre-storm photos, serial-number list, and mitigation invoices organized in a single folder—physical or digital. Escort the adjuster through the property in the same sequence as your documentation to avoid missed rooms.
Before they leave, request an advance payment if you need immediate cash for living expenses, and ask for written confirmation of upcoming deadlines.
6. Submit Your Proof of Loss on Time
NFIP claims require a signed Proof of Loss within 60 days from the date of loss; many private flood policies follow similar timelines but confirm with your carrier.
Assemble photos, itemized inventories, and repair estimates into one submission and send it via the insurer’s preferred channel (online portal, email, or certified mail). Keep a copy of everything—plus a delivery receipt—until the claim is closed.
7. Find and Vet Long-Term Contractors
Start with the insurer’s preferred-vendor list to reduce the risk of billing disputes. Verify each contractor’s license and liability coverage on your state’s licensing board website, then collect written, line-item estimates from at least two firms.
Whenever possible, arrange direct billing so the carrier pays the contractor rather than handing over your entire claim check upfront.
Post-Storm Don’ts
Even diligent homeowners can derail a payout with one wrong move. Run through this “don’t-do” checklist to keep your claim on track and your settlement intact.
Don’t automatically label every water loss as “flood damage.” Burst pipes and wind-driven rain usually fall under your homeowners policy, not flood insurance.
Don’t toss ruined items before the adjuster sees them. Photograph and stage debris; discard only after you have written clearance.
Don’t skip photos of your mitigation work. Snap the damage before repairs, the supplies you bought, and the finished fix—then store receipts with matching timestamps.
Don’t hire the first contractor who knocks. Stick with insurer-preferred vendors, verify licenses and insurance, and obtain at least two line-item estimates.
Don’t go silent with your adjuster. Respond promptly, confirm next steps in writing, and maintain a call log so your file stays at the top of the stack.
Bottom line: Steering clear of these pitfalls protects your wallet as surely as sandbags protect your doorway—follow the “don’ts,” and the rest of the claim process will flow far more smoothly.
Frequently Asked Questions
A hurricane flood claim can raise a dozen “what-ifs.” Below are the questions we hear most often—along with concise, policy-level answers you can act on right away. (Coverage specifics do vary, so double-check your own declarations page or call your Darr Schackow agent for details.)
Will my flood policy pay for mold remediation?
Generally, yes—but only if you act “as soon as reasonably possible” to dry the structure. NFIP and most private policies cover mold that results directly from the covered flood, not from weeks-long neglect.
Photograph the mold as soon as you spot it, start professional drying within 24–48 hours, and keep all invoices.
Does flood insurance reimburse temporary housing or meals?
Maybe—standard NFIP flood policies do not include “Additional Living Expense” (ALE) or “Loss of Use” coverage. However, some private flood policies do offer these benefits, and certain flood endorsements to homeowners policies may also include ALE and Loss of Use. Otherwise, these costs typically fall under your homeowners policy—provided the home is uninhabitable due to a covered peril (wind, rain, etc.). Keep every hotel and meal receipt so you can submit them with the applicable claim.
My neighbor’s yard funneled water into my house. Do I claim on their insurance?
Flood insurance is no-fault; it pays regardless of who redirected the water. File under your own flood policy first.
If negligence is clear (e.g., illegal grading), you can pursue the neighbor’s liability coverage later, but doing so won’t speed up your flood payout.
How long does it take NFIP to issue payment?
NFIP aims to send the first check within 90 days of receiving a complete, signed Proof of Loss—often sooner if documentation is airtight. Advance payments can arrive in days; supplements and appeals extend the timeline.
Don’t Relive the Disaster
A hurricane’s waterline shouldn’t turn into a financial high-water mark. By prepping smart, documenting thoroughly, and steering clear of the common “don’ts,” you set yourself up for a faster, fuller flood-insurance payout—and a smoother road back home.
If you’re uncertain about your coverage, have a nagging question about the claims process, or simply want a second set of eyes on your paperwork, Darr Schackow Insurance is ready to help. Call 888-337-9322 for a free policy review or one-on-one claims guidance.