Recovering from natural disasters

What to do after a natural disaster

During the aftermath of a natural disaster or catastrophe, your first step is to ensure you and your loved ones are OK. If you or any of your family members have sustained an injury, seek medical help as soon as possible. Attending to your family's emotional distress may also be an important priority. A few things you'll want to consider right away to ensure the physical safety of you and your loved ones:

• Be aware of missing persons: If anyone in your family is missing, contact local law enforcement. Other resources for missing persons include the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).
• Find a place to sleep: If your home is uninhabitable, seek shelter from a relative or friend outside the disaster area, in an emergency shelter, or within a community organization.
• Secure food and clean water: According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), water sources can become contaminated as well as food in contact with floodwater. Emergency sources of shelter can help with food and water.
• Notify family/friends: Let members outside the disaster area know about your family's situation. Aside from wanting to know that you're safe, they may be able to help.

Addressing damage to your home after a natural disaster

Don't throw anything away that may be included in a potential homeowners insurance claim as you address the damage to your home and its contents after a natural disaster. If you've thrown the item away, the adjuster may not be able to consider the item in your homeowners insurance claim.

Take photos and video to document the damage to your home and belongings as thoroughly as possible. Secure the property and take whatever steps are possible to prevent further damage from the elements due to wildlife, burglary, or theft. If you have high-value items in your home and can't secure them, you may want to move your valuables to a trusted person's home or storage space, if possible.

Do what you can to help prevent mold from developing if your home sustains damage from a flood, which means removing everything damaged by water. Some things, like wood furniture, will need to dry out. Other things, like carpeting, may be unusable and should be removed and set aside for disposal. If you have power, add fans and turn on the heat or air conditioning as appropriate to help dry out the home as quickly as possible. Learn more about how home insurance may cover water damage and how to restore your home after flooding.

Home safety in a natural disaster aftermath

Depending on the circumstances of the disaster, you may not be able to get to your home immediately. Floodwaters, fallen trees, and damage to roads, power lines, and gas lines can prevent you from returning home to evaluate the situation. You may need to wait until local authorities deem it safe for you to return to your home. Once you're allowed back, be aware of:

• Wild animals: If you encounter wild animals, stay away from them. Instead, contact an animal control officer to deal with them.
• Potential home collapse: If you notice cracks in the foundation, floors, walls, or ceiling of your home, wait until a building inspector or similar professional can verify that your home is safe to enter.
• Power issues: Turn off the house's utilities and main power breaker if you can do so safely. Don't use any of these devices or appliances until an expert can confirm it's safe to do so.
• Gas leak: If you enter your home and smell gas, leave immediately. Then call your local gas company to report the leak.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) warns those affected by natural disasters to never turn the power on or off or use an electrical tool or appliance while standing in water.

Additional natural disaster recovery tips

Recovering from natural disasters may take a long time. In addition to caring for your family, protecting your home, and working with your insurance adjuster, consider these additional measures:

• Save all your receipts: If you don't have an expense receipt, that expense can't be considered part of an insurance claim.
• Register for disaster assistance: The US Disaster Assistance Improvement Program (DAIP) assists people with more than 70 forms of potential disaster assistance across 17 federal agencies.
• Connect with assisting organizations: Groups like the Red Cross and the Salvation Army can help you through a severe weather emergency.
• Stay informed: Use a battery or solar or crank-powered radio to get relevant and urgent severe weather information in your area.