LONGWOOD, Fla. — Recovery efforts are underway in Seminole County, as residents and business owners begin to take steps to document what they lost to the tornado.

Adjusters have been out in the Longwood neighborhood around Blue Iris Place on Tuesday, meeting with homeowners as they begin the cleanup process.

As they do so, insurance and state officials have some tips on how homeowners can make the process go as smoothly as possible.

The first step is to get the insurance company on the phone to let it know that your property sustained damage in the tornado and that you want to file a claim, according to the principal at American Insurance Point, which is made up of insurance professionals who can help homeowners find a policy that matches their described needs.

“Because you don't know the extent of the damage,” said Principal Ana Regina Myrrha. “Sometimes we guesstimate that it's just a couple of shingles, but it's more than that. So get your insurance company involved as soon as possible.”

Homeowner Gary Grubl is still in shock that he lost about four dozen tiles off his roof. He said he never lost one in a hurricane in the 36 years he has lived in his home. But the tornado was a different story.

“Each one of these tiles is 11.2 pounds,” Grubl said. “I actually measured it this morning.”

The storm left part of his roof exposed, the tiles scattered around his home and some damage to his lanai. It also left him with some anxiety about the next steps, as he’s never had to file a major insurance claim.

“You never know how much the out of pocket is going to be,” Grubl said.

Grubl reached out to his insurance company right away and got a claim number. As he waits for the adjuster, he was told to get a tarp on his roof immediately to prevent further damage as he waits for the adjuster to contact him.

“They were adamant about doing the mitigation and they were also adamant about 'don't do any repairs' because when the adjuster comes out, he wants to see it kind of as it was,” Grubl said.

He was also told to take photographs and shoot video to document his home and its contents and any damage that resulted from the storm.

The Florida Department of Financial Services also advises homeowners to take detailed notes of the steps they take in the recovery process, about the people with whom they speak, to make copies of their receipts for expenses incurred to address immediate needs to protect the property and the information provided to them.

While Grubl is now left to wait and see whether his roof needs repair or replacing, he said he’s just glad he has insurance at all.

“It’s a big expense every month, but when the big one hits, you want to have the coverage,” Grubl said.

Grubl was happy to find he is covered, and that the deductible is much less than that of a hurricane.

Not all property owners are satisfied with the payout the insurance company offers, however, and some claims can be denied. 

In that case, it is important for the homeowner to review the insurance policy to ensure it covers the type of damage the property received and to try to understand why the insurer denied the claim. Some standard homeowners insurance policies might not list windstorms, like tornadoes for example, as a covered peril.

If the property owner then decides to dispute the claim, he or she should get together the photos and videos as evidence as well as repair estimates and request in writing that the insurer reconsider and complete any additional paperwork the insurer might request. Some companies may even offer mediation or appraisal services to help. 

If the property owner still is not satisfied with the insurers' findings, the only options left are to file a complaint with Florida's Department of Financial Services or to hire legal representation.