In April 2021, a tornado touched down in Bradenton, FL. More than 20 homes were damaged, including roofs blown off. The tornado itself was bad enough, but its effects lingered, such as accompanying rain which caused water damage to the now-roofless homes.
While no one looks forward to home disasters like floods, there is at least a general understanding of the process of what to do when something unfortunate happens, such as getting estimates and working with insurance companies and various contractors to get things fixed.
Tornadoes, on the other hand, are less common, so there’s generally less awareness of what to do when one hits your home.
The good news is that it’s generally a similar process of starting claims, getting estimates, meeting with adjusters and getting compensation to get things fixed. In some cases, there are additional tools available for more accurate info about the damage a home may have sustained.
Expert Water Removal was brought in to help a heavily damaged multi-family condo building where several units were destroyed. We worked with both the condo association for the foundational structures as well as the individual unit owners for the interior repairs.
This created a complex situation where each affected unit had its own claims and its own damage.
Once the initial damage was assessed and tarps provided to reduce further damage from the elements from missing roofs or broken windows, Expert Water Removal worked with a drone company to document the damaged areas. This provided a close view of damage, including perspectives that would be difficult and dangerous for an adjuster to venture.
The drone footage was shared with respective insurance companies to show the extent of the damage. It allowed more accurate data on how much damage was sustained and where it was located, including debris that spread to a nearby golf course.
The insurance companies indicated they were happy to have access to the accurate drone footage, and used this info as a source when determining appropriate compensation, from minor to major damage. Each affected condo owner was able to select new fixtures, including cabinets, counters and flooring.
Overall, the drone proved to be a useful modern tool to gather info about disasters.
