How to Reconstruct Records After a Disaster

If a tornado, dangerous hailstorm or other natural disaster sweeps through your area, it’s possible that you’ll lose documents and records that are crucial to your home and business.

Ideally, you’ll have digital backups and physical copies of everything. But maybe you never got around to taking this step, or maybe your backups were also destroyed. This guide can help you reconstruct the records you need for insurance claims, tax purposes or government assistance.

Don’t wait until disaster strikes to find out how your records and other important items are protected. Talk to a Farm Bureau agent and review your insurance coverage so you’re prepared.

Property Records

Contact these companies for help documenting the value of your property:

• Title or escrow companies: For copies of property purchase documents and appraisals
• Assessor’s office: For property tax statements
• Appraisal companies: For listings of comparable local properties
• Contractors: For records of any improvements you made to the property
• Court records: For probate values on inherited properties

Tax Records

You can get free tax return transcripts from the IRS website or by calling 800-908-9946.

Equipment and Vehicles

If possible, contact the dealership or location where you bought the equipment or vehicle to see if they can provide the original sales contract or an estimate of what it would have cost when you bought it. If you are still making payments, your bank or lienholder may have information.

Resources like Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds and the National Automobile Dealers Association can help you find the current value of a vehicle. 

Personal Property

It can be hard to remember all the property you had in a home or business that was destroyed. Review any photos you have to help jog your memory. Mentally go through your location room by room and try to recall everything that was there. Don’t forget garages, attics, basements and areas you used for storage.

You may also be able to check your credit card records to find the purchase prices of your items. 

Document the Damage

Along with reconstructing your records, it’s important to have documentation of the extent of the damage. If it’s safe to do so, try to take photos to show what property and items were damaged in the disaster.

If you can’t take photos, try to sketch the area room by room. That can help you remember what was in each area. As best as you can, list out the items that were damaged or destroyed, like clothing in a closet or dresser or pots, pans and dishes in your kitchen. 

A Disaster Can Destroy More Than Records

The destruction you face after a disaster can make it hard to get your home or business back in order. Connect with a Farm Bureau agent who can review your insurance coverage and recommend the right coverage to keep your life operating smoothly.