The first 72 hours after a hurricane are the most consequential window a South Florida homeowner will face. The decisions made in that window — what you photograph, who you call, what you touch, what you sign — shape the insurance settlement, the restoration scope, and how quickly the home becomes livable again.
Most homeowners are exhausted and overwhelmed at exactly the moment the highest-stakes decisions have to be made. Storm chasers arrive. Utilities are out. Insurance carriers are inundated. Neighbors compare notes and give conflicting advice. In that chaos it's easy to make small mistakes that cost thousands of dollars weeks later.
This guide is a practical, step-by-step checklist for Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and Palm Beach homeowners for the critical 72 hours after the storm passes.
Hour 0–6: Safety first
Confirm everyone is accounted for and uninjured. Household, pets, elderly neighbors. Injuries take priority over property. Do not enter standing water in the home. If it's more than a few inches deep, and especially if outlets or appliances are submerged, energized water is a real electrocution risk. Kill the main breaker before wading in — or wait for the utility to confirm power is off. Do not use candles or open flames. Natural gas or propane leaks are possible after a major storm. Check for structural failure signs — sagging ceilings, wall cracks that weren't there before, buckling floors. If anything looks structurally compromised, leave the building. Turn off the main water supply if a plumbing failure is obvious. Do not turn on the AC if the air handler or ductwork got wet. Contaminated moisture pushed through the system spreads mold and biological contamination through every room.
Hour 6–24: Document everything
The single most valuable thing you can do in the first day is document. This is what determines your insurance payment.
Photograph everything before you touch it. Every room. Every wall. Every ceiling. Every belonging. Close-ups and wide shots. Time-stamped by your phone's metadata. Video walk-through with narration is stronger evidence than photos alone. Save your pre-storm documentation. If you had a home inventory, contents list, or prior photos, back them up now. Photograph the exterior: roof from ground level, all four sides of the house, driveway debris, downed trees on structure, damaged shutters or impact windows. Log serial numbers and models for damaged appliances, electronics, HVAC. Keep receipts starting now — every dollar spent (tarps, water, food, hotel, gas) is potentially reimbursable under "additional living expenses" or "reasonable steps to mitigate." Do not throw anything away yet. Insurance adjusters will want to see items before they're disposed of.
Hour 6–24: Contact your insurance carrier
Call your carrier's claims line, not your agent's office. Claims lines are staffed 24/7 during declared emergencies. Get a claim number in writing. Verify spelling and get an email confirmation if possible. Ask when an adjuster will be assigned — during major events, adjusters can take days or weeks. Ask about advance funds. Many carriers issue advance payments for immediate needs (hotel, food, tarps) before the full claim is settled. Note who you talked to and when — name, employee ID, time of call, what was discussed. Understand your deductible. Florida has separate hurricane deductibles (typically 2%, 5%, or 10% of dwelling coverage). For a $500K home with a 5% hurricane deductible, that's $25K out of pocket before insurance pays.
Hour 12–48: Mitigate to prevent further damage
Your policy requires you to take "reasonable steps" to prevent further damage. Failure to mitigate can reduce or void the claim.
Tarp the roof if damaged. Emergency tarping stops further water intrusion. If you can safely DIY, tarp. Otherwise call a licensed contractor. Save the receipt. Cover broken windows with plywood, tarps, or plastic sheeting. Remove standing water with wet vacs, pumps, buckets. Move salvageable furniture and belongings away from wet areas. Elevate what you can't move. Start air circulation in safe areas — open windows if weather permits, run box fans if power is on, prop doors open. Do not use bleach or chemicals to treat mold in the first 72 hours — professional remediation later works better on undisturbed sources. Do not start "restoration" work yourself beyond mitigation. Cutting drywall, ripping out flooring, disposing of contents should be documented, coordinated with your carrier, and ideally performed by a licensed restoration contractor.
Hour 24–72: Vet contractors carefully
By the second day, contractors are showing up at your door. Most are legitimate. Some are not. See our separate post on post-storm contractor scams for a full guide on red flags.
Do not sign an Assignment of Benefits (AOB). Never transfer your insurance rights to a contractor. Do not pay large cash deposits. Legitimate restoration work bills against the insurance settlement. Verify Florida licenses at MyFloridaLicense.com — active, unrestricted, right category of work, no recent discipline. Ask for local references — three names from the last 6 months. Get a written scope of work before agreeing to anything. Say no to "we'll pay your deductible" — that's insurance fraud in Florida, a felony. Insist on IICRC certification for water, fire, and mold work.
Hour 24–72: Understand your policy
While waiting for adjusters and coordinating with contractors, read your policy. Most homeowners have never read theirs.
Hurricane deductible — higher than regular deductible; separate calculation. Coverage A (dwelling) — the structure of the home. Coverage B (other structures) — detached garages, sheds, fences. Coverage C (contents) — belongings, usually 50–75% of dwelling coverage. Coverage D (loss of use) — hotel, restaurants, laundromats while uninhabitable. Ordinance or law coverage — pays for building-code upgrades during rebuild. Critical in Florida because code has tightened over the years. Flood coverage — homeowners policies exclude flood. If you have flood coverage, it's through NFIP or a private flood insurer, and it's a separate claim. Wind coverage — standard on Florida homeowners policies for wind damage.
Hour 48–72: Prepare for the adjuster
The adjuster visit is the single most important event of the claim. Have your documentation organized — photos, videos, contents inventory, receipts. Prepare a written scope room by room. Meet the adjuster in person and walk them through the property. Take notes during the visit. Ask questions about how dwelling coverage, contents, ordinance or law, and additional living expenses are being calculated. Do not accept a "quick settlement" on the spot without understanding it. Any settlement should be reviewed, ideally with a public adjuster or attorney. Request an itemized estimate in writing from the carrier. Compare to your restoration contractor's estimate. Any gap needs to be discussed.
Day 4 onward: Restoration begins
By day 4, the immediate crisis is over. Coordinate with your chosen restoration contractor on scope, timeline, and budget. Track all receipts, invoices, and payments. Communicate with your adjuster weekly. Watch for scope disputes — insurance may agree to a smaller scope than the contractor recommends; that's where a public adjuster or attorney adds value. Don't rush. Restoration done wrong is worse than restoration done slowly.
The one thing most homeowners get wrong
The single most costly mistake we see: signing documents in the fog of the first 72 hours. AOBs, scope agreements, "emergency service" contracts. Homeowners who slow down and get everything in writing, with full understanding, always come out better than those who move fast. Nothing legitimate has to happen in the first 72 hours except mitigation and documentation. Contracts and long-term commitments can wait a week.
When to call RestoFlo
If a hurricane damaged your South Florida home, call us. We respond 24/7, document everything for your insurance carrier, mitigate the immediate water damage, coordinate with your adjuster, and manage the full restoration through reconstruction. No AOBs. No cash deposits. Direct coordination with your carrier under your direction. 24/7 emergency line: (754) 289-4815.
