Had a tree branch come crashing down on my car last month during that crazy windstorm, and learned a handy tip from the insurance guy. He said always snap a bunch of pics right away, even if it seems obvious. Apparently, having clear photos from different angles helps speed things up big time. Wish I'd known sooner, would've saved me some hassle. Curious if anyone else has picked up other useful tips or hacks for weather-related insurance stuff...
Good tip about the photos, but honestly, pics alone sometimes aren't enough. Had a claim last year where the homeowner took tons of photos after hail damage, but didn't document the date/time clearly. Ended up causing delays since the insurance company questioned when the damage actually happened. I'd suggest pairing your pics with screenshots of weather reports or news articles from that day—just to back up your timeline. Might seem like overkill, but trust me, it can save headaches down the line...
Good point about weather reports—I've found that helpful too. A couple things I'd add from my own experience:
- If you're using your phone for pics, make sure the timestamp feature is turned on. It saved me once when the insurance questioned timing.
- Also, quick tip: grab a short video clip of the damage right after the storm. Videos tend to show context better and can be harder to dispute.
Might seem like extra hassle, but it really smooths things out later...
"Might seem like extra hassle, but it really smooths things out later..."
Yeah, I get what you're saying about the video clips and timestamps. Honestly, I used to think all that stuff was just insurance company paranoia until last summer. Had a branch land right on my hood during a nasty storm—nothing crazy expensive, but enough damage to make me cringe. Took some quick snaps (no timestamp, of course 🙄) and thought I'd be fine.
Well, insurance pushed back a bit on timing since the storm wasn't officially reported in my immediate area. Luckily, my neighbor had security cam footage showing the branch falling—saved my butt big time. Lesson learned: documentation matters more than I thought.
Still, gotta admit I'm skeptical about going overboard with this stuff. I mean, I'm not exactly filming a documentary every time it rains...but your point about short videos makes sense. A quick 10-second clip probably won't kill my phone storage and might save me headaches later.
Guess I'll grudgingly add "storm videographer" to my resume now...
