First off, from Luxury Homes Designed and Built by Tony McClung, we want to say that we are praying for the entire city of Dallas. Storms rolling through in the middle of the night are terrifying for the safety of you and your family, but also cause concern over your home, business, schools, shopping centers and more.

While the safety of our family is what is most important, we often take for granted how much our homes mean to us. They’re always there to provide shelter for our children, family and possessions. However, after this past weekend, the reality that we cannot take that for granted has quickly set in.

No one ever wants to deal with tornado damage – it can be emotionally and financially devastating. But in the chance that your home did sustain damage from the tornado, here is a bit of a checklist to follow on steps you should take to reconcile everything to the way it was before:

1)  Review What Insurance Covers

Home insurance is so important, not only for the occasional busted water pipe or leaking appliances, but also for natural disasters like tornadoes. Every home insurance plan will be different, so it’s important that you first research precisely what your home insurance covers before doing anything else.

Depending on where you live, who you used, and what plan you selected, tornadoes may or may not be covered. If you don’t remember what your plan was, reach out to a rep from your insurance company immediately and they should be able to figure this out for you!

2)  Calculate Your Losses

After a tornado, it’s important to know exactly what you did lose. Is the house entirely demolished or only partially damaged? Do you need to replace a few key items or have all your belongings been lost?

Figuring out exactly what needs to be replaced is important for getting back on your feet quickly and efficiently. When it comes to belongings (as opposed to the home’s structure), make a list organized by necessity-by-use. That can help you to determine which things will need to be replaced first as you are recouping everything.

3)  Starting the Rebuild Early

Chances are, your insurance company won’t get you the money for the damages until a couple months out. Unfortunately, that means you’ll have to make-do in the meantime. Once you have a running list of needed appliances or lost belongings, as well as a detailed list of what in your home has been damaged, it will be way easier to start rebuilding your home.

Hire a contractor to at least repair the necessities as you wait. Whether that’s spots in the roof or siding, broken HVAC systems, busted walls, etc. – whatever you deem essential by everyday-use standards should be your first focus on repairing. Get the rest of everything done when the insurance repair money comes.

Conclusion

Emotions run high when tornadoes come through a community. Damages can range from light to severe, but it never matters – it’s always an emotional and financial stressor. Living in Dallas this week, we have seen how important it is to have a game plan on how to handle a situation like a tornado disaster.

Start by making sure you know precisely what is and is not covered by your insurance plan. After doing that, make a detailed list of what in the house structure has been damaged, as well as what belongings have been damaged or lost. While you wait for insurance money – which can sometimes take a couple months to receive – start repairing the necessities to get back on your feet quicker as you’re recovering from some of the losses.

Luxury Homes Designed and Built by Tony McClung is a family run business that cares deeply for our community. Please let us know if you need any help with your home during this stressful time.