Storm recovery resources for people with tornado damage

HOUSTON – The Houston area has been hit by strong storms this week, with at least nine tornadoes confirmed over three days.

The day after Christmas, five tornadoes from Wharton County touched down in Liberty County. At least four tornadoes were reported on Saturday:

• Waller County
• Montgomery County (Porter Heights) and then possibly to Liberty County
• Brazoria County (between Liverpool and Alvin) in Galveston County (damage reported in Bacliff)
• Chambers County

The strong winds caused significant damage to many buildings in the Houston area, leaving homeowners and business owners left to pick up the pieces and recover. At least one person died as a result of the storms.

If your home is damaged by a tornado, the Insurance Information Institute recommends contacting your insurer as soon as possible to file a claim. You should also take photos of any damage and make a detailed list of any personal items that were damaged or destroyed.

In addition, be sure to keep all receipts for expenses incurred while you are away from home.

Here are some resources that can help you get back on your feet.

The Red Cross recommends filling out an application for assistance. They can help you provide documentation to your bank.

The Red Cross also has a recovery guide with resources to help you recover from a disaster.

Some standard homeowners insurance policies cover tornado damage, but you may need to purchase additional storm insurance if you live in a storm-prone area.

Storms, a general term that also includes tornadoes, are listed in the covered perils of some policies. You may also have an “all-risk” policy that covers tornado damage, insurance company Progressive says on its website.

However, according to Progressive and Allstate, some home insurance policies exclude wind damage from a tornado or other storm. This means that if your home is damaged or destroyed by a tornado, your insurance will not cover repair costs.

People who live in tornado-prone areas should ask their insurance company if their policy includes a wind exclusion.

If your policy does not cover storm damage, you can purchase storm insurance as an add-on to your existing policy or as a separate policy. Some insurance companies may even require this if you live in an area prone to tornadoes and other wind events. Storm insurance is most commonly purchased in Florida, Texas, Oklahoma and other states prone to tornadoes or hurricanes.