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What to photograph before a hurricane for insurance

Use the free tool — Hurricane Biz Plan

Why these photos matter

After a storm, your insurance claim depends on proof of what you had and what changed. Photos taken before the storm are the easiest way to show that proof — no story, just pictures.

This is not insurance advice. Ask your agent, in writing, these three questions before the storm: what is your wind deductible amount; whether flood is covered — it is usually a separate policy, not part of a standard business policy; and whether you have business interruption or civil authority coverage, and what triggers it.

What to photograph

• Exterior, all sides
• Roof, if you can see it
• Every room inside
• Equipment serial plates
• Inventory shelves
• Vehicles, with the odometer showing
• Inside of coolers
• A copy of your lease
• Your insurance policies
• Your licenses
• Last 3 months of sales and payroll records

Where to keep the photos

Save copies in two places: the cloud, and a phone that leaves the building with you. If the building floods or the phone is lost, you still have the other copy.

About flood coverage

Flood damage is usually not part of a standard business insurance policy. It is typically a separate policy through the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program, and it can have a 30-day wait before it takes effect. Ask your agent, in writing, whether you have this coverage now.

If your county orders an evacuation

If your county orders an evacuation for the zone your business is in, close and go — no exceptions. Check your zone on the Florida Division of Emergency Management's Know Your Zone page. Don't guess your zone.

What to do next

The free tool reads what you tell it about your own business and gives you a one-page plan — the photo list above, a timeline, a call list, and the programs to register with now. Nothing you paste is stored. This is not insurance, legal, tax, or emergency-management advice; confirm coverage with your agent in writing and follow your county's evacuation orders first.

Hurricane Biz Plan generates a general continuity plan in plain language; it can be wrong, and it is not insurance, legal, tax or emergency-management advice. Evacuation orders from your county always come first. Confirm coverage with your insurance agent and program details with the SBA, FEMA and FloridaCommerce. Nothing you paste is stored.