A survey team from the National Weather Service visited Rocky River Wednesday to assess storm damage after destructive storms hit Northeast Ohio Tuesday afternoon.
Luke Lytell is in disbelief over Tuesday's storms. He and his family have lived in their Rocky River home on Laurel Avenue for 11 years.
During the storms, a large branch snapped off of a more than 100-year-old oak tree in his front yard, causing damage to his home and his neighbors.
He said he heard tornado sirens and got everyone into the basement just in time.
"And that’s [the sirens] when everything started happening; we heard the train," Lytell said.
The damage is extensive, and he's still in shock.
"Who do you call when a tree falls into your house?" Lytell asked.
Both Lytell and his neighbor have insurance and have been in touch with the companies.
However, across Northeast Ohio people are dealing with the damage from Tuesday's storms.
Andrew Kobak, the president of Cleveland Public Adjusters, said the first step is to assess the damage.
Kobak said insurance company adjusters are looking out for the insurance company, but public adjusters are looking out for you.
"We are licensed by the State Department of Insurance to advocate on your behalf," Kobak said.
While Cleveland Public Adjusters only handle large-scale claims, over six figures, Kobak has advice for those with storm damage.
He said to first decide whether or not you need to file a claim.
“The last thing you want is for your insurance company to come out and say, ‘oh this is below your deductible, by the way you have a 25-year-old roof and we’re not insuring you anymore,’” Kobak said.
Minimal damage is best paid out of pocket without involving insurance to avoid making a claim. Kobak said you could end up paying them back with higher rates down the line. Although, that may not always be clear.
“Every insurance company is different there’s underwriting guidelines for every insurance company which are kind of like, secret guidelines that none of us know about, right?” Kobak said.
Knowing the scope of the damage and whether or not the cost would exceed your deductible is a good way to decide if you need to file a claim.
Also, make sure you know what your policy covers and what it does not.
“A lot of times if a tree falls on your house your insurance policy may offer to lift the tree off the house and pay for that portion of it but bringing it off the property and grinding the stump may not be part of,” Kobak said.
That's why you should not start paying contractors until you know what insurance covers and how much of their bill you will end up paying yourself.
