Five Ways Homeowners Can Protect Their Property Before, During and After Natural Disasters

Between 2020 and 2024, the US experienced 115 catastrophic weather events, including droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, tropical cyclones, wildfires, winter storms, and other extreme weather events, costing $746.7 billion in losses, according to NOAA.

As the risk of catastrophic weather events increases, homeowners can follow these five steps to safeguard their property and accelerate recovery if disaster strikes.

1. Reassess Insurance Policies Regularly

The first step consumers must take is to ensure they have sufficient coverage for their homes.

Property values tend to increase over time, whether due to inflation, changing housing market conditions, or remodeling, and policy limits aren’t always updated accordingly. As a result, many homeowners remain underinsured.

In addition, standard home insurance policies often don’t include coverage for certain types of natural disasters, such as floods and earthquakes; these can require separate policies or endorsements. It’s important to work with your insurance agent or carrier to make sure you have the appropriate coverage given the risk profile of your geographic location.

Homeowners should periodically review their policies to confirm they have adequate coverage. It’s also a good idea to update their insurance agent or carrier with any new construction or remodeling projects.

2. Take Preventative Steps to Protect Property

Consumers must understand the natural disasters that may impact their area. This awareness enables homeowners to ensure they have adequate coverage in the event of a wildfire, hurricane, or other natural disaster and take certain precautions against potential damage.

For example, in areas prone to hurricanes, homeowners can equip their homes with storm shutters and regularly clear their gutters to avoid water damage. In areas prone to wildfires, insurance companies may offer free wildfire protection services, like shrub and brush removal or spraying fire retardants.

It’s a good idea for policyholders to check with their insurance carriers to understand the available protection services and discounts offered.

3. Document Belongings to Simplify Future Claims

During an evacuation, the policyholder’s primary focus should be just that: getting themselves and their loved ones out of harm’s way. Insurance often covers not only the dwelling structure itself but also personal property that is damaged or destroyed in a natural disaster; homeowners don’t need to remove everything from their homes.

However, when consumers experience a loss, trying to document the lost items in their homes can be a nightmare. It is a good idea for consumers living in high-risk areas to take photos of each room in their home in case they ever need to file a claim. Many apps – sometimes sponsored by your insurance carrier – also exist to catalog home inventory. A few minutes spent capturing these images can streamline the often arduous process of cataloging personal belongings for an insurance claim in the future.

4. Submit Claims Promptly and Prevent Further Damage

Following a catastrophic event, insurance carriers’ claim volume can dramatically increase. It may take time for an insurance carrier to get an adjuster to a policyholder’s home, depending on the volume of property damaged. Policyholders who make every effort to submit claims promptly will reduce the chance of further delays.

If a home is partially damaged, homeowners should assess if they can safely prevent further destruction (e.g., tarping a roof or removing valuable contents from a flooded basement) and take action to mitigate losses. Insurance carriers usually offer and pay for these emergency mitigation services for covered losses above your deductible.

5. Keep Receipts of All Expenditures to Maximize Reimbursement

If a natural disaster displaces a policyholder from their home, most home insurance policies include Loss of Use coverage. This means that an insurance company will pay for additional expenses incurred, such as food, shelter, and mileage, while their home is rebuilt or repaired.

As a reminder, in the days following a natural disaster, policyholders must keep receipts for all expenditures, as these will be required when submitting an insurance claim for reimbursement.

Planning Speeds Recovery and Mitigates Losses

Natural disasters can be devastating, but the right insurance coverage, combined with proactive planning and protection measures, can significantly reduce financial hardship and the time it takes for policyholders to recover.