What actually helps after a storm, and how to be ready before one

After a significant loss - a fire, a hailstorm that takes out the roof, a tree through a wall - the first thing our claims team needs to know is what was there before. For members who walked through their home on video at some point, that question has an answer. For members who didn't, piecing it together from memory, under stress, is where the process slows down.

This level of preparedness doesn't prevent a storm, but it significantly impacts what comes after. Here's what else does.

For your home

Walk through your home on video

This is the one. Open the app on your phone, hit record, and walk through every room. Open closets. Get the serial numbers on appliances. Do the basement, the attic, the garage. When you're done, save it somewhere outside your house: a cloud folder, an external drive at a family member's home, or both. If you have receipts for major purchases, save those too.

This is almost too simple. But when there's damage and the question becomes "what did you have?", video evidence beats memory in ways that matter when you're already stressed. This single step consistently speeds up property claims more than anything else.

Put together an emergency kit

Water, non-perishable food, medications, a flashlight with extra batteries, a portable charger, and cash. Cash is worth calling out specifically. When power is out and card readers aren't working, it's what gets you a tank of gas or a meal at the one diner running on a generator. If you take prescription medications, keep a small backup supply or know exactly who to call for an emergency refill.

Save your documents somewhere you can reach them

Policy declarations pages, IDs, deeds, birth certificates. Photograph them or upload scans to a cloud folder you can pull up on any device. If your home becomes uninhabitable after a storm, you don't want to also be scrambling to prove who you are or what you own.

Know what your policy actually covers

Look at your declaration page. Understand your deductibles. Know what's in and what's out. Standard home insurance doesn't cover flood or earthquake damage, and many policies don't include sewer backup by default. If you're in a flood-prone area and haven't thought about that gap yet, September is a reasonable time to. Log in to review your coverage or reach out to a trusted Branch agent if you want to walk through it.

Make a family communication plan

Decide where your household meets if phones are down. Name an out-of-town contact everyone can check in with. Agree now on when you'd shelter in place versus leave. These decisions feel like hypotheticals until they aren't, and making them in advance takes about ten minutes.

Run through seasonal maintenance

Check the roof and gutters. Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. If you have a sump pump, make sure it's working before fall rains arrive. If you don't have a fire extinguisher, put one on the list. If you do, check the gauge.

Handle the basics around your property

Trim branches that hang over your house or any vehicles parked on your property. Bring in or anchor anything in the yard that could move in high winds. Know where your water shutoff valve is and that you can actually operate it. If you have a generator, review safe operating distances from your home before you need to run it.

For your car

Keep a kit in the trunk

Jumper cables, flares or reflectors, a blanket, a bottle of water, a basic first aid kit, a tire pressure gauge, and a phone charger. Most of this fits in one small bag and just stays there.

Know your auto coverage before you need it

Does your policy include roadside assistance? Rental reimbursement if your car is in the shop after a claim? What's your deductible for comprehensive versus collision? These are worth knowing now, not at the side of a road or in a parking lot after an accident. Your Branch® app has your digital ID card and policy details in one place.

Prep your car before storms move in

Keep your gas tank at least half full heading into severe weather. If flood conditions are forecast, move your car to higher ground or a parking structure if that's an option where you live.

Know what to do at an accident scene

Photograph the scene, both vehicles, the license plates, and any visible damage. Get the other driver's insurance and contact information, and note any witnesses along with the time and location. Then file through the Branch claims app.

Check the basics before winter

Before temperatures drop, go through your tires (tread and pressure), brakes, battery, and wipers. A dead battery or worn tires in a January storm is the kind of emergency that's almost always preventable.

None of this takes a full weekend. Most of it takes an hour if you work through it in pieces. Being prepared doesn’t require an overhaul of your life. It means taking a little time on the front end to handle the specific things that can make a real difference when something goes wrong on the back end.

If you have questions about your Branch coverage or want to review what your policy includes, log in to your account or reach out through the app. Your declaration page is a good place to start.