What should you do after a storm changes the shoreline?

Create a simple before-and-after record

• Keep original photographs with their dates.
• Record where you stood and which wall segment is shown.
• Note visible holes, displaced panels, cap damage and dock connections.
• Keep prior surveys, permits and repair invoices beside the new photos.
• Save relevant official storm notices without assuming they determine your claim.

What should a useful storm photo record say?

Use one short entry per wall segment. Photograph only from a safe location; a detailed record is never a reason to approach an unstable edge.

Keep the original files and distinguish what you saw from what someone reported. A photo date establishes an observation; it does not by itself prove when damage began or what caused it.

NFIP Claims Checklist for Policyholders

Record weather and lagoon water separately

SJRWMD explains that wind moves water in the Indian River Lagoon more than tides do. An ocean tide chart alone cannot explain every lagoon water level or set a wall design elevation. Describe the time, wind and observed water conditions without treating them as a structural diagnosis.

Indian River Lagoon Facts

Ask what changed and what needs investigation

Tell the professional whether movement is new, whether soil appears to be missing and whether access has become unsafe. Ask for a report distinguishing observed damage from areas that cannot be inspected. The recommendation should identify further survey, underwater or concealed-component work where needed.

Use the assessment questions to define the visit.

Separate temporary protection from permanent repair

For oceanfront work, check the active CCCL emergency guidance. Temporary authorizations are tied to specific events and conditions. Do not rely on an old hurricane order to begin a permanent project. For other shorelines, ask the local and environmental reviewers about the proposed stabilization scope.

CCCL Emergency Permitting · Seawall review routing

Which decisions should stay separate?

Keep temporary-protection invoices separate from the permanent proposal. For oceanfront CCCL work, confirm the event, dates and scope of any emergency authorization. An old storm handout is not permission for a new permanent wall.

CCCL Emergency Permitting · Seawall review routing · NFIP Claims Checklist for Policyholders

What should you ask before work changes the evidence?

Contact the insurer promptly and describe the damaged property accurately. Ask how the scene should be documented and whether an adjuster needs to inspect before non-urgent permanent work alters it. Do not delay emergency safety action solely to preserve a photograph.

• Record the claim reference, contact name and date of the conversation.
• Ask where to send photographs, reports and receipts; keep submission confirmation.
• List temporary measures and the permanent proposal separately.
• Ask for required forms and the applicable deadlines in writing.

FEMA’s checklist recommends keeping claim conversations and repair records. Those practices help organize a claim; they do not establish seawall coverage. The insurance guide explains the policy questions.

NFIP Claims Checklist for Policyholders · Flood Insurance Coverage