Fort Smith Residents Should Document Damage For Insurance Purposes, Let Crews Work

FORT SMITH, Ark.—A press release from the City of Fort Smith calls upon residents of the city to quickly document damage to let emergency management crews begin clean-up.

The Sebastian County Office of Emergency Management (SCOEM) Deputy Director Travis Cooper said disaster assistance crews have encountered some residents who are reluctant to let crews begin cleaning up out of fear that their home insurance adjuster needs to first inspect the damage in person.

Cooper contacted a couple of local insurance adjusters to double-check and released a few points of guidance for residents:

• Residents should take photos and videos of damage to their home and property.
• Document emergency work done to remove unsafe hazards such as trees, limbs and debris, and to seal their home with tarps as protection.
• Take lots of good, representative “before” and “after” photos to make them available to your home insurance carrier.

SCOEM is coordinating volunteer crews with heavy equipment and tools to remove large trees and debris from homes. The crews are handing out tarps to help seal roofs in preparation for rain expected to move in as early as Monday afternoon.

Residents needing direct assistance from the regional Red Cross are asked to call (855)-891-7325.