After tornado or wind damage, check that the building and the people in it are safe, photograph the damage before anything moves, cover any opening in the roof or walls, and then remove the water. Drying comes last. Call (833) 490-5225 at any hour, and a crew is sent as soon as one is free.
Key takeaways
- Safety comes first: a damaged building can shift, and power lines and wet electrics are hazards.
- Photograph the damage and make a list of items before anything is moved or thrown away.
- Cover the opening in the roof or walls before the next rain, because each rain adds water to the building.
- Remove standing water and the material that cannot be dried, and keep the power off to wet areas where the panel is reachable.
- Dry the structure to measured readings, and keep the readings with the photographs for the repair and any claim.
Is the building safe to enter after a tornado or a windstorm?
Not until someone has checked it. A tornado or a strong windstorm can leave a roof sagging, a wall leaning or a tree resting on the structure. Stay outside until the building has been looked at from the outside, and treat any leaning or cracked section as unsafe.
Look at the building from a safe distance first. Check for lines that have come down, for a tree resting on the roof or against a wall, and for any part of the roof or wall that is bent or moving. If anything looks unstable, keep everyone away and call for help before entering.
Inside, look for water near the electrical panel, outlets and cords. If the panel is dry and you can reach it without standing in water, switch off the circuits for wet rooms. If the panel is wet or hard to reach, leave it alone.
What should be photographed and written down first?
Photograph the outside of the building, the opening and the inside damage before anything is moved. Write the time you noticed each problem. These records make the repair and any claim easier to support.
Take a wide shot of the building, then close shots of the openings, the fallen material and the wet areas. Stand in the same place for later photographs, so the change over time can be seen. Use a camera or phone and keep the originals with their dates.
Make a list of the damaged items with their location. Note what is wet, what is broken and what you have moved. A list made while the room is as the storm left it is more useful than one written later from memory.
How do you cover the opening before the next rain?
Cover the opening with a tarp or boards, fixed to sound material, as soon as it is safe to reach. Check the cover after each storm. A temporary cover keeps the next rain out, and a crew can replace it with a fuller cover when it arrives.
Do not go onto a sloped or damaged roof to fix a cover. If the opening can be reached safely from a ladder on firm ground, cover it from there. If not, leave the cover to the crew, which has the equipment and the training to place it.
Tie the cover down so that wind cannot lift it. A loose tarp can take a second section of roofing with it in the next gust, so the fixing is as important as the sheet.
What is the right order for removing the water?
Stop the flow, remove standing water first, then take out the materials that cannot be dried. Drying comes after the water is out. Doing these in the wrong order can leave wet material under a floor or in a wall for days.
Standing water is pumped or vacuumed out before the drying starts. Water left on a floor soaks into the subfloor and the wall base, and it is harder to reach later. The crew moves quickly on the standing water because it is the part that spreads fastest.
Next the wet material is assessed. Carpet pad, soaked insulation and drywall beyond its drying range are removed. Solid wood and masonry that can be dried are kept. The removal is done with the readings in hand, not by guess.
Why does drying take longer after a storm in Meridian?
Humid Mississippi air slows the drying of wet materials, so the dehumidifiers and air movers often run for several days. The readings show when the structure is dry. Stopping early can leave moisture in the framing.
Drying works by moving moisture out of the material and into the air, then removing it from the air. In humid weather the air holds much of that moisture already, so the process slows. A dehumidifier is needed to keep the drying going.
The crew takes readings at set points and compares them with the start. The equipment is removed when the readings return to dry, not when the surface feels dry. You will be given the readings so you can see the progress.
What should a homeowner do with the rest of the house in the meantime?
Keep people and pets out of the wet rooms and away from the drying equipment. Move valuables to dry rooms and keep the air from the wet area out of the rooms you use. Ask the crew which rooms can be used and when.
A storm-damaged house is often a place where people still need to sleep and cook. Use the rooms that stayed dry, and keep the doors to the wet area closed. The crew can seal or direct the air from the drying area so the rest of the house stays comfortable.
Children, older people and anyone with breathing problems should be kept away from the wet and drying areas. Tell the technician who lives in the house so the layout can take them into account.
When should the insurer or the adjuster be called?
Call your insurer as your policy describes, usually soon after the damage. Give it the photographs, the list and the readings. How a claim is handled is decided by your policy and your insurer, and the crew cannot tell you the outcome.
Read your policy to see how the insurer asks to be told about a loss. Keep a copy of the claim number, the names of people you speak to and the dates. Ask for the claim decision in writing.
If the insurer is slow to respond or you disagree with a decision, the Mississippi Insurance Department takes complaints about insurers. Its contact details are given in the claims guide on this site.
What should you do about power, generators and gas after a storm?
Treat power and gas as hazards until they have been checked. Do not run a generator inside a building or near an open window or door, and if you smell gas, leave and call the gas utility from outside. Wait for the electrical side to be checked before turning anything on in a wet area.
A generator gives off carbon monoxide, and it can kill when it runs in an enclosed or partly enclosed space. Place it outside, well away from doors, windows and vents, and keep it dry. Do not connect it to the house wiring in a way that feeds power back into the lines.
Gas and electricity can be dangerous together with standing water. If you smell gas, leave the building, do not switch lights on or off, and call the gas utility from a safe place. If a line or a fixture is sparking or hot, keep away and call the power company.
What should you do once the storm has passed?
Wait for daylight and for a clear look at the building before going in, and move slowly around debris. Keep children and pets indoors and away from the damaged area. Check on neighbours who may need help getting clear of a damaged house.
Storm debris hides hazards such as nails, glass, exposed wiring and loose roofing. Walk on firm ground, wear stout footwear and gloves, and avoid lifting heavy pieces alone. A small injury in the first hours after a storm can slow everything else down.
Once the building has been checked, it helps to set up a simple routine for the next few days: check the covers after each rain, look at the ceilings and walls, and keep the record up to date. A routine keeps the damage from growing unnoticed while the crew is busy with other calls.
How do you keep the record going during the first week?
Make a short entry each day: the weather, what was checked, what was covered or removed and any new damage. Keep the entries with the photographs and readings, so the first week is documented as well as the first hour.
Many storm losses get worse over several days, because a cover that was placed tightly loosens, a ceiling that held water starts to sag or a wet wall starts to smell. A daily entry makes those changes visible. Note the time you checked and anything you noticed that was not there the day before.
Keep the entries in one place with the crew's scope and the readings. A file kept in order is easy to show to a repair crew, a roofer or the insurer, and it saves you from relying on memory when the questions start.
Frequently asked questions
Should I stay in the house after a tornado?
Stay out of any part of the building that is unsafe, and leave if the structure is leaning, cracked or sagging. Do not return to a damaged building until someone has checked it. Keep the power off to wet rooms if you can reach the panel safely.
How soon should I cover the opening?
As soon as it is safe to do so, before the next rain. Do not climb an unsafe roof. A temporary cover from the ground or a ladder is enough to keep most rain out until the crew arrives.
Should I remove the fallen tree myself?
No. A tree on a roof can shift without warning, and cutting a limb can drop more on you. Tree removal is work for a crew with the right equipment, and the water crew covers the opening once the tree is safely off.
Do I have to throw out my wet things?
Not straight away. Photograph and list the items first. Many wet items can be dried or assessed. The crew and the owner decide together what is kept, and nothing is thrown away before the record is complete.
Is there a deadline for the claim after a storm?
This guide does not state a deadline, because the policy and the insurer set the timing. Read your policy and call your insurer early, so the claim is opened while the damage is still fresh.
What if the storm damage is only wind and no tornado?
The first steps are the same. Most of the damage in the May 2021 storms came from straight-line wind rather than tornadoes, and the water work after a windstorm follows the same order: safety, photographs, cover, water removal and drying.
Sources
This guide is general information for Lauderdale County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.