More than 500,000 people were without power Tuesday in the Dallas-Fort Worth area after a line of severe thunderstorms with strong winds blew through the area.
Many North Texans woke up to tornado sirens wailing early Tuesday after the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for parts of the region until 6:30 a.m. A flash flood warning extended later into the day.
The city of Dallas has established a debris removal team. Residents should call 311 to report downed trees and debris in roadways.
As many deal with power outages and assess damage to their property, here are some helpful tips to help navigate the aftermath of the storms.
How to report damage
Storm repairs can be expensive, so it’s important to protect your property and report any damage.
Most standard home insurance will cover damage caused by weather events as long as you pay the deductible. Here are steps you can take to report the damage, according to the Texas Department of Insurance, which regulates the state’s insurance claims process.
- Call your insurance company to report property damage. The company has 15 days to acknowledge your claim.
- Make temporary repairs and keep the receipts. Don’t make permanent repairs yet.
- Take thorough pictures and videos of interior and exterior damage, including potential problems such as mold, roof lifting and downed power lines.
- The company will send an adjuster to evaluate your home. Make sure your address is visible and try to be there when they arrive to point out the damage.
- Work with an insurance representative to repair your home. Keep a record of everyone you talk to during the process. If you need help quickly, ask about an advance payment.
- Before settling the claim, compare it with bids from multiple contractors.
Dealing with SOS mode
Many in North Texas found themselves in SOS mode Tuesday morning when it came to their cellular devices.
According to Apple’s support center, if you see “No Service” or “Searching” in the status bar on your iPhone or iPad, your device isn’t connected to a cellular network. If you see “SOS” or “SOS only” in the status bar, your device can still make emergency calls.
This feature is available in the U.S., Canada and Australia.
People with an iPhone 13 or earlier versions won’t get the SOS indicator but will see a “No service” indicator, instead.
The SOS mode is indicative of your cellular service, so being able to connect to Wi-Fi could help you be able to send texts, access the internet and make calls.