Tornado Damage Claim FAQs

Most homeowner insurance policies cover temporary living expenses while a home is uninhabitable. The length of time and amount of benefits differs from policy to policy. If you have not yet requested a certified policy from your claim adjuster or agent, do so now. Your policy of insurance will spell out your duties, obligations and procedures during the insurance claim process.

The insurance industry tends to group various types of perils into the broader “windstorm” category. Windstorms typically include tornadoes, hurricanes, and high winds. Windstorms can cause a wide variety of damage. For example, with wind-driven wildfires, a damaged property may have a combination of windstorm and fire damage while the high winds of a hurricane or tropical storm could blow off the roof and drive water and hail into the home.

An experienced public adjuster will know the ins and outs of the tornado insurance process and the claims practices of insurance companies. This gives the claimant the benefit of staying in control of the claim process, claim proceedings, negotiations and ahead of any potential issues that could result in delays and underpayments.

Tornados are typically covered perils; thus, your insurance policy most likely covers tornado damage. That said, your policy may impose a higher “windstorm” deductible depending on state insurance laws. A trusted public adjuster can determine if your claim would be subject to a higher windstorm deductible or not.

Your insurance policy requires you to “mitigate damages” or you risk that further damages may not be covered. This means you must cover any breaches to your roof with plywood or tarp, board up or cover any broken windows or doors and secure all damaged business property items so that they are not further damaged.

Start to gather and organize financial documents such as bank statements and tax returns if you think there is a possibility you will file a claim for business income loss or business interruption. Photograph all damages. Create a spreadsheet of all the business property that was damaged by the tornado. The list should include item name, brand, age, quantity and cost to replace. Starting with these tasks will give you a head start on the insurance claim process.

Often times, insurance companies are too slow or incorrectly underpay and even deny tornado damage claims. It’s your right to have a fair and expeditious claim process. We can help.