Tornado Damage

[Eddie Watkins]

Last Monday we were in the tornadoes that came thru Oklahoma. If you saw it on TV, our house was the only one standing across the road from the church that was destroyed. Initially, the damage appeared fairly "minor" with most of the shingles gone, several windows broken, garage doors ripped, etc. The insurance people have not been out, yet, but we were given authorization to fix what we needed to protect our property. So far we have put up new garage doors on the house and shop so we could lock our house and my tools, we put tarps on the roof to keep water out(didn't work very effectively), and did some cleanup to get the trash and nails off our drive so we cold get in and out.
Now for the questions and I understand this all opinion.
After the tornado it rained probably 2-4 inches and all our insulation and sheet rock got pretty wet as well as the decking which is 1x8s. How much damage did that do? Should I remove the insulation to try to dry the sheetrock? Should I insist the sheetrock be replaced? My wife has really bad allergies to mold. Should I be concerned about the decking warping over time? There are a few cracks in the brick at the corners but I can push on the brick and there is no movement. Is there any other way to detect structural damage? Several windows imploded due to the change in pressure and glass was everywhere. We have vacuumed three times and still are finding chards of glass in the carpet and furniture. Should I ask for the carpet/furniture to be replaced in the room where the windows broke or can it be cleaned well enough to get the glass out?
Any other advice you can offer will be appreciated.

[Jim Koepke]

Those are a lot of question unique to your situation.

Many of us have never had to deal with collecting insurance after such a calamity.

I do know in earthquake prone areas if your insurance is not specifically earthquake covering you could be out of luck.

Many of the natural problems like tornados and floods are required parts of homeowners insurance in areas affected by such.

I know in my old home state of California there were problems with insurance companies not wanting to pay for damage that happened after the event. In other words, if a home was covered for earthquake but then there was rain damage afterwards, the insurance would only pay for the damage caused by the earthquake if the home was covered. Like wise if a home did not have earthquake insurance and a fire broke out after the earthquake, the insurance company would try and claim the damage was earthquake related and not cover.

If you can find others in your area who are more experienced with this that may be your best source of information.

If you have a lawyer or banker you are on good terms with, now may be the time to talk to them to find out what to expect.

Good luck and God bless,

jim

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Eddy,

First my sincere sympathies for the damage you experienced!

My youngest son and wife live near Houston and had a similar problem when a hurricane (Ike? IIRC) struck nearly 2 years ago. They had excellent insurance and yet they just got back into their home this past December. Good contractors were in serious shortage in the area as a result of that hurricane.

They had similar problems......shingles stripped and wind blown water driven into the walls from above. In the end they ended up gutting the walls where there was water damage, replacing insulation, replacing cabinets, removing carpeting.

Now is the time to talk with your insurance agent and find out what is covered and how good you insurance is.

BTW....don't be in a big hurry to settle with the insurance company. The kids had damage that appeared months after the event (but were obviously caused by the event) and some hidden damage that was apparent until they removed stuff.

Good luck!

[Dennis McGarry]

Talk to your Ins agent, then Hire a building inspector!

Water damage can go unseen for months, before the mold is starting to show.

If you had enough rain to soak the insulation, I would bet there is also water damage below the floor as well. The sub floor could also be waterlogged and that will cause mold, it only takes a little mold to spread.

As for the cracked brick, again hire a inspector to inspect the structure. Where you see the crack may not be the actual point of failure in it.

get the building inspector to tell you what is wrong, then get three estimates to have it all repaired. Do not use only the inspector your ins company will recommend. Get a private party to do it as well.

OH and also, One big word of advice.

MAKE Sure to check out the contractor you end up hiring! Try to make sure they are for real, have been in your area for awhile, to many people go into these types of events acting as contractors to help you get back on your feet faster. With little to no experience or insurance if any work is actually done. Yes there are some who are honest and sincere but how can you tell? Best bet is to find a qualified local company. You want it done right, not half ass.

[Eddie Watkins]

Talk to your Ins agent, then Hire a building inspector!

Water damage can go unseen for months, before the mold is starting to show.

If you had enough rain to soak the insulation, I would bet there is also water damage below the floor as well. The sub floor could also be waterlogged and that will cause mold, it only takes a little mold to spread.

As for the cracked brick, again hire a inspector to inspect the structure. Where you see the crack may not be the actual point of failure in it.

get the building inspector to tell you what is wrong, then get three estimates to have it all repaired. Do not use only the inspector your ins company will recommend. Get a private party to do it as well.

OH and also, One big word of advice.

MAKE Sure to check out the contractor you end up hiring! Try to make sure they are for real, have been in your area for awhile, to many people go into these types of events acting as contractors to help you get back on your feet faster. With little to no experience or insurance if any work is actually done. Yes there are some who are honest and sincere but how can you tell? Best bet is to find a qualified local company. You want it done right, not half ass.

That's all good advice. I am printing your comments as they come in so I can make a check list and make sure I miss nothing.
Thanks again all.

[Tom Godley]

Homeowners policies can have wind exclusions - some are 2%. They are typically in the policies to minimize small claims. Earthquakes and Floods are different losses than your storm damage. You need to read your policy in order to understand the limits of coverage. There are many different types of policies and different companies cover more than others depending on the policy you purchase from them. Some policies cover everything regardless of the current costs others you must determine the current loss amount.

The job of the insurance company is to make you whole again - and unfortunately the agents are not always the best at telling you what to do - often talking directly with the company is best. Don't spend your money on supposed outside experts unless you are unable to get the answers to your questions or dissatisfied with the progress -- this is why you have the insurance. And keep track of everything you spend!

Normally anything that has been damaged by water is replaced -- insulation, sheet rock, flooring etc. - even the wiring depending on how the water entered. Furniture can sometimes be cleaned.

I have been through this - I understand what a total upheaval it is.

[Dennis McGarry]

Homeowners policies can have wind exclusions - some are 2%. They are typically in the policies to minimize small claims. Earthquakes and Floods are different losses than your storm damage. You need to read your policy in order to understand the limits of coverage. There are many different types of policies and different companies cover more than others depending on the policy you purchase from them. Some policies cover everything regardless of the current costs others you must determine the current loss amount.

The job of the insurance company is to make you whole again - and unfortunately the agents are not always the best at telling you what to do - often talking directly with the company is best. Don't spend your money on supposed outside experts unless you are unable to get the answers to your questions or dissatisfied with the progress -- this is why you have the insurance. And keep track of everything you spend!

Normally anything that has been damaged by water is replaced -- insulation, sheet rock, flooring etc. - even the wiring depending on how the water entered. Furniture can sometimes be cleaned.

I have been through this - I understand what a total upheaval it is.

Good points but its not the job of an insurance company to make you hole again, its their job to turn a profit.

The best course is to spend the few dollars it takes to get an independent analysis of the damage as well the the ins company. You would be surprised by what a ins company inspector will say isnt damaged vs what actually is.

Saying to only get one done unless you don't get the answer you want or are dissatisfied, is great but if you don't know what to ask, or what the right answer is, kinda pointless. Just as you dont take their first offer as written in stone, you also dont assume their inspection is dead on. Its your house, your life, and your personally family safety, do it right..

[Tom Godley]

Dennis, not knowing what kind of policy Eddie has or the extent of the damage or authorizations -- we are just guessing. The policy really does matter -- and I am certainly not suggesting that it not be done correctly.

But ....... It is the job of the insurance company to make you whole again all the while making a profit -- and many do both quite well.

[Eddie Watkins]

I seem to have a good policy, assuming they agree with my interpretation, and the company has a good reputation for paying. I am a little diappointed how long they are taking to get here but there is probably 1000 homes with hail and/or tornado damage. I have a replacement value policy and I only pay the highest deductible on all claims. My house, two trailers, and my pickup all received some damage. Vehicles have $500 deductible and house has $1000 ded so I will pay $1000 for all four claims. They do have a clause that says I can fix everything broken and they will pay cash value but if I wait until they authorize it they will pay full replacement value. I can also challenge the cash value payment and receive full replacement value if approved.
It appears to me, the house is totally covered but I have to re-read it again to figure out things like fences and trees. There are some exclusions there. I don't think there will be any disagreement about the coverage and the problems. The fix is where we will probably disagree. I really dislike Ken's idea about gutting everything that got wet but that appears to be the right solution. Question is will they go along with that. If you think of anything else that will help, please share. Thanks.

[Lee Ludden]

I'll throw in my $0.02 here. Look for a specialized Restoration contractor. Your insurance company can recommend one, but double check their references and how long they have been in business.

The problems are not always where they appear to be, so it pays to get someone to look at it that knows what to look for.

[Tom Godley]

Eddie -- The things you mention do become the sticking points with some policies/ companies. Some companies waive all the deductibles when you have a single event covering many policies. Some hand you a check with no strings attached to get you through the first week. In a total loss some companies rent you a house and furnish it -- some want you to stay in a motel - try that for a year!!

Its hard to tell initially what is damaged and a total loss and what can or should be fixed. If you fix something and then determine it must be replaced -- who pays for the bad decision to fix it. In the end I believe you will find the easiest thing to do is to just replace everything that is damaged -- this slows things down in the beginning but it results in a better outcome - IMO.

Its a shame it has taken a week for someone to get to you - it sounds like the area is a mess -- thats why we call them disasters. Best Wishes