What photos and documents should I take before a storm?

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Photograph and video-record your home’s exterior, interior rooms, and high-value items, then store these digital backups in a secure, off-site cloud service to create a verifiable inventory for insurance claims.

• Exterior Documentation: Capture wide shots of all four sides of the house, focusing on roofing materials, siding, windows, and the chimney. Include close-ups of existing wear, such as cracked shingles or peeling paint, to prevent insurers from denying pre-storm damage claims.
• Interior Room-by-Room Video: Walk through every room with a smartphone camera, keeping the lens level. Narrate the video to note specific fixtures, floors, and walls. This creates a timestamped baseline that proves the condition of your property before the event.
• High-Value Items: Photograph serial numbers on major appliances, electronics, and jewelry. If you have a physical inventory list, scan it into the same digital folder. The Federal Trade Commission recommends keeping this list updated annually to ensure you are not left with gaps during a disaster.
• Important Documents: Digitize critical legal and financial records, including insurance policies, deeds, and birth certificates. While the CDC advises on physical safety, protecting your financial identity is equally vital for rapid recovery.
• Secure Storage Protocol: Save these files to a reputable cloud provider like Google Drive or Dropbox, and copy them onto an external hard drive stored at a trusted friend’s home. Never keep your primary backup in the same physical location as your original home. Many insurance carriers now accept digital video as evidence of pre-loss condition, which can significantly expedite the settlement process.

Take these photos in good lighting and keep the metadata intact, as the exact time and location stamps serve as critical proof of when the documentation was created.

admin · 2026-10-02 11:42:31