Julie Brandao says the savage storm that tore through the Chattanooga area Tuesday left a tree on her house.
Brandao, a manager for insurance company BB&T Huffaker & Trimble, said she understands about the property damage some people are dealing with in the wake of the storm.
“I feel for those folks,” she said.
Local insurance firms are busy fielding calls from people whose homes and businesses sustained a hit.
Gina Hembree, an agent for A American Advantage Insurance, said people just aren’t ready when storms rip off roofs or knock down trees.
“People go through a lot of trauma,” she said.
Hembree said the first thing to do is make sure people are OK. Next, people should start the claims process.
“They need to call the company, get a claim number and get it assigned,” Hembree said.
Shelia Shell, an agent for Stevens Insurance Co., said clients also need to protect their property from more weather damage, such as by putting a tarp over a roof or boarding up a broken window.
Claimants should take photos of the damage and document it, she said. Because of the amount of damage in the area, it might be a few days before an insurance adjuster can get to the property, Shell said.
“Adjusters will be covered up,” she said.
Brandao said people should save receipts for expenses to give the insurance company.
“There could be a lot of activity in the few days before a claims adjuster could get to your property,” she said.
Hembree said it’s also a good time for people to review their deductibles.
Shell said that when things are normal, people should take videos or photos of their belongings so they’ll know what they have in case an incident happens.