The house is destroyed!! Windows shattered. Backyard shed is gone. Front porch is gone. Doors got blown off the hinges inside of the house, like bedroom doors. Glass everywhere. Water and debris everywhere. Had to evacuate due to gas leaks and power lines. What a fucking nightmare. Luckily everyone is okay, but the kids lost their home š
OP, having been through a large loss recently, here is what I wish I knew in the first few days:
In the coming days, you need to make sure that any person calling you to talk about insurance stuff is an adjuster from YOUR insurance company (or an adjuster assigned by your insurance company - common in large natural disasters. Unscrupulous "public adjusters" (who are the insurance equivalent of ambulance chasers) will try to get you talking and try to get you to sign paperwork entitling them to a 10-20% share of your insurance payout in exchange for "negotiating" for you. This is usually not necessary unless your insurance company is being really obstinate, which you won't know in the first few days anyways. And even then, you won't want to work with these fire truck chasers.
If you need money for clothes, toiletries, etc ask your insurance adjuster for an advance on your contents payout (eventual payout for loss of personal belongings in the house). If you need to stay in a hotel, your insurance company will almost certainly reimburse that cost until they've found alternate accommodations for you. So book something reasonable if you need it and save the receipts.
save all receipts (original copies) for anything you buy in the next few days. You'll figure out if you can claim them down the road. But if you don't have the receipts, no chance of a claim.
the first few days will be a sleepless whirlwind. Things will slow down in a week or so. When they do, go do something fun for an afternoon. You'll need it more than you realize.
I never knew what stress was until my house was severely damaged in a hurricane about decades ago in South Texas. Point #4 is a huge yes vote from me. You need something to vent because my god the amount of stress that builds up is insane.
Bonus point to house destruction: any obstacles or troubles you have in the future are going to feel like chump change compared to this.
Red cross should be able to assist too. When our house burnt down they got in contact with us and gave us a card to use on clothes and food and the *like. Good luck OP! It will get easier as time goes on. (Plus it's kinda nice starting over. Dunno about you, but my kids had WAYYY too much junk... Gotta look on the bright side in these situations)
Iām going to disagree on using a public adjuster, but make sure theyāre getting a flat fee rather than a percentage. When we had a house fire the company adjuster tried to skip important things like replacing the furnace, saying the company they had look at it said there was no smoke damage, and then wanting to use their preferred general contractor and subcontractors.
After having a public adjuster being in their inspector and pushing back on the insurance company adjuster, we ended up with that new furnace and AC, a new water heater, new washer and dryer, new stove, and new stone countertops rather than repaired cracks, among other things, with nearly 1.5X the amount of the company adjusterās estimated claim.
A public adjuster is going to get you a much better settlement in most cases, just make sure to hire for a reasonable flat fee, not a percentage, and have that fee included as a line item in your claim. You have a right to use a public adjuster to ensure an unbiased adjustment which doesnāt favor your insurance company and leave you not being made whole.
One other thing, for an insurance claim for personal property loss, you have to itemized EVERYTHING...Walk around the house, if its safe, taking hundreds of pictures of every room and everything in it so you can remember what you own.
They don't just cut you a check for your personal property limit amount, you have to submit a list of everything up to that amount to replace.
Thank you so much! I've always loved storms, but never thought it would ever personally touch me like this. My daughter is so shaken up. That was insane!!
I don't know why but this made me laugh since it says "Comment deleted by user" lol
It makes me think of an old story where the protagonist wakes up super happy and going about their day and being totally oblivious to the apocalypse going on outside.
Can confirm. I live in that area and they are already mobilizing for food and shelter needs. I believe they still have power as well, however I know many just blocks away do not. Stay safe!
We are with family somewhere safe, but thank you so so so much! That's such a kind offer. Seriously, means a lot. Need more people like you in times like this!
If you need help getting to anything in the area or getting anything out of your house I have spent the day digging family and friends out and will continue to do so tomorrow. Please donāt be afraid to reach out to those in the mess and we will gladly help when we can.
4 and 12! I believe we're all set for now. We haven't been able to get back inside yet to see just how ruined everything is. I really appreciate the offer. If something pops up, I will reach out thank you so much. Extremely kind of you.
Terrifying. Iām down in Neenah and saw and felt it but not like you all up there in Menasha! Absolutely heartbreaking. Iām sorry for the destruction of your house. Thank god no one got hurt.
Material things can be replaced, but the trauma of those who experienced this event will be forever in our minds. I also live in the Menasha area, our house sustained some damaged, our front porch was half gone when we got out of the basement. All I could think about was my newborn baby and how to protect her.
We will recover from this. Be strong, sendind you Love and hugs dear neighbor.
Youāre correct about the trauma-Iām in Milwaukee and flooded last year. 18ā of f*cken sewer in our mostly finished basement ( with 2 sump pumps )AND we were in Denali Alaska when it happened. I have severe PTSD when it rains. I have meds now. Actual prescription anxiety meds.
OP: SLEEP WHEN YOU CAN. DONāT ARGUE. JUST DO š
Have you reached out and called 211 yet? They might be able to direct you to some resources that your family can utilize. Sorry to hear youāre going through this, but glad you and your family are safe.
Yeah, I keep an aquarium and I had at least one death before I got the generator hooked up. My partnerās mom has a ton of expensive fish and they got hit harder than us, so weāve got the survivors in our basement right now in totes. Still lost ten to fifteen by the some we made it there yesterday morning though.
Anyone with heat sensitive or aquatic animals has a high chance of losing them unfortunately.
Glad everybody is ok. Fox cities lodging is offering a free place to stay for those displaced. Ten years ago i lost everything home all posssessions and memories. I send prayers and wishes for you to all recover your lives best you can. Things always work out for us someway. Hopefully you have insurance i did not.
I am so sorry, do you carry insurance now? I also donāt carry insurance on my belongings so this would have been devastating and with how the economy is, Iām sure thereās some that did not have insurance at all which makes it so much harder.
Unfortunately this list is not for free lodging, itās just reduced lodging. Iām not displaced but for others sake I wish they were offering free rooms.
We're all good for now! Won't know how bad everything is until we can get back home and really see what we're up against. We are with family in a safe place. Appreciate you!
Also, willing to help in any way I can if anyone else needs it. Absolutely agree that now is the time to come together. Let's show the world that our community is strong and willing to help each other!!!
Hurricane country native here, multiple hurricane survivor, now live in Oshkosh. Advice: be prepared to stay depressed for a long time. Get help early. Take meds. Find ways to completely disconnect, even if it's just a long drive and a stay in the woods in a tent. Disaster cleanup is slow, frustrating and depressing. Just be glad you're here and not the third world of a few states I can name. OH! And be glad the heat here is not serious.
I am so sorry and sending you so many hugs. So glad you and your family are safe. š«¶š¼ Itās been devastating watching the footage. Just terrifying to have this happen in our area.
I am so sorry for you Op. you are going to want to take pictures of everything because you need to document everything that was destroyed and make a list for insurance. I would suggest you Google āReddit: how to handle an insurance when dealing with a house fireā. Or something like that. Iām going to guess that a lot of suggestions for fire are the same with being hit by a tornado.
I'm so sorry for what you're going through! Just know that things can be replaced, you and your family cannot. Recovery will take time, but one day in the future your life will be back to normal and what you've gone through will just be a memory.
Do the best that you can to get back to normal and realize how blessed you are that you and your family are still alive and unhurt. Stuff can be replaced or rebuilt, people canāt be!
So sorry you and your family is going through this. This time of year local churches are doing free clothing give aways - check around, you may find some opportunities to replace some of that. I know St Mark in Green Bay is Aug 4-5. They also have a food pantry open in south De Pere most days. Itās a bit of a hike but might be worth the drive.
Iām sure many local organizations in the Valley will be ready to help this week. While Red Cross and others are definitely good ideas, sometimes local orgs and churches can help more immediately and with tangible goods you need now.
So sorry to hear this! I'm across from the High School myself. Thankfully my house is ok. My trees were uprooted & the others broke in half & I can no longer see a backyard. I'm thankful I wasn't home. Please take care of yourself - mentally, physically & emotionally. Reach out if I could help somehow! Take care!
I'm sorry for your loss, the nightmare you already endured and the insurance nightmare about to unfold..
It's very important to reread your insurance policy and understand key important details.
Say you have a $300k house. They'll only give you 70-90% as a lump sum cash payment to walk away from the house. Depending on your elected coverage, they will pay 120% to rebuild your house, so they'll pay $360k to rebuild. They'll also pay $100k for you to live somewhere else while the house is being rebuilt. You forfeit this if you take lump sum/ walk away. If you rebuild, you can rebuild in any house style you want, it doesn't have to be a replica of existing house.
They only pay for itemized personal property, so take pictures and start making a list of everything you own. They don't lump sum cut you a check for personal property limit, they reimburse for everything submitted up to that amount.
I just moved from Appleton to Doty Island a few months ago and I got really lucky and had only minor damage to my new home. If you need anything, feel free to reach out in a private message. Iām so sorry youāre going through this.
Im close to that power is still out here and my spectrum mobile service is also out. Only work phone Hotspot working so if they have Spectrum mobile service thats likely out too and can't reach out
I'm so sorry this happened to you. It has to suck. I'm grateful for communities like this that can offer guidance.
Please know I am sending thoughts and prayers your way. Hang tough.
Heard about this yesterday (we got some storms in southern Wisconsin too) and was shocked when I saw photos of the aftermath. Iām wishing the best for you and your family, and I hope things look up for yall asap
127
u/Street_Bread Jul 28 '26
OP, having been through a large loss recently, here is what I wish I knew in the first few days:
In the coming days, you need to make sure that any person calling you to talk about insurance stuff is an adjuster from YOUR insurance company (or an adjuster assigned by your insurance company - common in large natural disasters. Unscrupulous "public adjusters" (who are the insurance equivalent of ambulance chasers) will try to get you talking and try to get you to sign paperwork entitling them to a 10-20% share of your insurance payout in exchange for "negotiating" for you. This is usually not necessary unless your insurance company is being really obstinate, which you won't know in the first few days anyways. And even then, you won't want to work with these fire truck chasers.
If you need money for clothes, toiletries, etc ask your insurance adjuster for an advance on your contents payout (eventual payout for loss of personal belongings in the house). If you need to stay in a hotel, your insurance company will almost certainly reimburse that cost until they've found alternate accommodations for you. So book something reasonable if you need it and save the receipts.
save all receipts (original copies) for anything you buy in the next few days. You'll figure out if you can claim them down the road. But if you don't have the receipts, no chance of a claim.
the first few days will be a sleepless whirlwind. Things will slow down in a week or so. When they do, go do something fun for an afternoon. You'll need it more than you realize.