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One year after Hurricane Sandy, homes in Breezy Point, NY, destroyed by fire during the storm are in different phases in the reconstruction process. Photo Courtesy of FEMA.

Natural disasters are unpredictable and can happen at any time. From hurricanes and flooding, to fires and blizzards, it is helpful to know how to move forward once you, and your home, have weathered the storm.

“As a homeowner, a first step towards being prepared is to be informed of your home’s characteristics,” explains IBTS Build it Back (BiB) Program Expeditor Samantha Ruotolo, who has worked as the “middle-man” between architects and dozens of homeowners in the BiB program to streamline the construction permit process. “This includes your flood zone area, fire district or other natural disaster classifications for your home.”

This information can be easily found on your local building department’s website. Flood zone boundaries can also be found by searching your address or county using FEMA’s flood zone map. This information will be important to have on-hand after a natural disaster, but it’s especially important to be informed of this before any disaster strikes to ensure that you have the proper insurance coverage.

Homeowner’s Insurance

“It’s critical that you know the details of your insurance coverage,” Ruotolo says. “Your homeowner’s insurance might cover water damage from something like a sewer main break, but it typically will not cover damage from flood water.”

If your home is damaged as a result of a natural disaster, the first step will be to call your insurance agent to report any damage. Having your agent’s contact information on-hand will help to expedite the disaster assistance process, as you must report damage to your insurance agency prior to applying for FEMA assistance. Store your agent’s phone number in your cell phone, and keep a written copy with your insurance policy. If you evacuate, be sure to bring this information with you. Even if you think you have it memorized, it can be difficult to remember under duress in the chaotic aftermath of a disaster.

Legal Documentation for your Home

In addition to your insurance information, it’s important to keep hard copies of legal documents pertaining to your home in a location you will remember and can easily reach in the case of an emergency. This should include the certificate of occupancy for your home, any homeowner’s or weather-specific insurance policies, and the most recent copy of your home appraisal. These documents come in handy for both short- and long-term federal disaster recovery programs, such as FEMA’s Individual Assistance (IA) program and the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program.

“All legal documents pertaining to your home should be kept in a waterproof location,” recommends Ruotolo. “Having a digital copy of your home’s certificate of occupancy, as well as a hard copy, will be significant in expediting the paperwork process because it tells you what each floor of your house is designated for. This results in faster post-disaster relief and construction times.”

This is especially important for homeowners who rent portions of their home. “If part of your home is rented out and provides a source of income,” explains Ruotolo, “having a copy your certificate of occupancy and plans approved by your local building department will demonstrate the legality of that space and ensure that the space can remain as part of your home.”

Ruotolo, for example, recalls helping a homeowner who couldn’t find documentation to prove that the attic of her home was legally permitted for use as a rental unit. The city didn’t have documentation of the rental unit either, and without it, the building department could not issue a building permit for the resident’s reconstruction project. Although the homeowner was able to find the paperwork eventually, she significantly delayed the construction process. And if the homeowner hadn’t found the paperwork, the attic would not have been approved as a rental unit in the reconstructed home.

Like Ruotolo’s client, if you can’t find your paperwork you’ll likely experience significant delays in the rebuilding process. Before your project can move forward, your local building department will have to search their own records to find the most recent documentation. Although your reconstruction project will still move forward once the paperwork is located, you may not be able to use spaces in your house, such as rental units, as they were pre-storm.

Even with proper documentation, changes to your home may be inevitable. After Hurricane Sandy, for example, FEMA’s updated flood zone elevation standards required that many damaged homes be raised. As a result, the basement or first floor of many homes became uninhabitable. Because these changes will be reflected on a revised version of your home’s certificate of occupancy, which must be up-to-date before the storm to avoid legal issues that delay the process.

Violations on Your Home

To prevent roadblocks in the home rebuilding or repair process after a disaster, it’s also important to be aware of and resolve any violations that may be in place on your property. Your home must be in full compliance with local, state and federal regulations for significant construction work to be performed. Violations placed on your property can be found by searching your address on your local building department website.

If outstanding violations are found on your home, the local Building Department can delay the construction permit process and increase the amount of time it takes to return back to your home safely. FEMA may also ask for proof of occupancy or ownership, which can be provided through your certificate of occupancy.

Knowing what to expect and being prepared for post-disaster repairs or reconstruction on your home can save time and money, giving you peace of mind that you will return to a safe home as quickly as possible.