How to safeguard your property after a hurricane

1/25/2023 (Permalink)

Blog Summary: The restoration professionals at SERVPRO® of Metairie highlight what to do to protect your home after a hurricane.

Hurricanes can cause millions of dollars worth of property damage, including harm to people. For example, Hurricane Katrina resulted in losses of about $125 billion. 

While boarding windows and doors can help protect your home before a hurricane, they are often not sufficient to prevent hurricane damage.

With this in mind, the team at SERVPRO of Metairie has outlined the following steps to protect your home after a hurricane.

1. Inspect the property

Spend some time looking for debris and damage throughout your property. A property has four entry points; the garage, windows, doors, and roof. Check to ensure all of these entry points are still intact. If you smell gas in the building, stay outside and call a restoration company.

2. Turn off the power

If your property is flooded, then turn off the power at the main breaker before you get inside to clean it up. Keep clear of downed power lines and call your local power company to come.

Also, don’t plug in an affected appliance. Wait for a technician to check and fix it before you use it.

3. Document damages and call your insurance

Some insurance policies cover hurricane damage. If it does, then start by taking pictures and videos of the damage to your property after the hurricane. Make an inventory of the damaged properties before calling your insurance provider to inform them about the hurricane. They will walk you through the claim process and ensure you get the best deal.

4. Replace damaged or missing shingles

A shingle is more likely to break free during a hurricane if it was previously damaged. If the shingle is detached, there will be a space for the wind to enter and cause even more damage.

Keep in mind that shingles must be securely fastened during installation or replacement—not over the nail line. The restoration company can help replace all the missing shingles on your roof after a hurricane.

5. Repair loose siding

It’s important to quickly fix any siding damages to ensure your home's privacy, security, and comfort. Water can leak through the damaged siding and cause more issues if not fixed.

Fortunately, identifying siding damage is usually a simple task, allowing you to complete it more quickly. The provider of flood restoration services can also handle the siding replacement.

6. Clean up any water

Flooding is one of the most common consequences of a hurricane. The likelihood that your home will sustain flood damage increases when hurricanes bring torrential rain and a lethal storm surge ashore.

People frequently stand in line for hours to get sandbags to place around the entrances to their homes before the hurricanes, but these often do not stop the water from getting in.

If your home is flooded, you must act quickly to restore it and prevent further damage. Call a company that provides flood damage services to help clean the place. They have the tools and experience to clean everywhere and get your home to a habitable state.

Find reliable flood restoration services in New Orleans, LA

Look no further than SERVPRO of Metairie if you need reliable and emergency flood restoration services in Freret, New Orleans, LA. They have extensive knowledge and experience in water damage restoration and can help you quickly get your property back to its preloss state.

Their team of IICRC-certified specialists is available round the clock and will quickly come to your place, inspect the damages, remove and dry any water, and fix damages to your building. You simply cannot go wrong working with them.

SERVPRO of Metairie is a reliable ally in getting your home to a livable state after hurricane damage.

Call them today at (504) 496-0193 to learn more about their services.