The First 72 Hours After Property Damage in Hawaii

When something happens to your home or business — a kitchen fire, a burst supply line, a roof peeled open by wind — the first feeling is shock. The second is a flood of questions. What do I touch? What do I say to the insurance company? Take a breath. What you do (and don't do) in the first three days shapes the evidence, the timeline, and the tone of your entire claim. Here is how to walk through them.

Step 1: Safety First — People Before Property

Nothing in your house is worth a trip to the emergency room. Before the claim crosses your mind, make sure everyone — family, tenants, pets, kupuna next door — is accounted for and out of harm's way.

• Fire: Do not re-enter until the fire department says the structure is safe. Hot spots and weakened framing remain hazards after the flames are out.
• Water and storm: Watch for sagging ceilings, soft floors, and standing water near outlets. Treat wet wiring as live until an electrician says otherwise.
• Utilities: If you smell gas, leave and call the utility from outside. Shut off power at the panel if water reached outlets, and close the main water valve if plumbing is the source.

Step 2: Stop Further Damage — But Don't Repair Yet

Nearly every property policy requires you to take reasonable steps to protect the property from further damage — called mitigation — and insurers take it seriously. In Hawaii, it is also common sense: if your roof is open and another Kona low is lining up offshore, a tarp today can save you a second disaster this week. And our humidity is unforgiving — water damage can start turning into mold here in a day or two. Reasonable mitigation looks like:

• Tarping a damaged roof or boarding broken windows
• Shutting off the water supply to a leaking line
• Moving undamaged belongings out of the wet zone
• Running fans and dehumidifiers, or bringing in a water-extraction crew

Two rules keep mitigation from hurting your claim. First, keep every receipt — tarps, fans, plywood, hotel nights, emergency invoices. Reasonable mitigation costs are generally part of your claim, but only if you can show them. Second, stop at temporary measures. Do not start permanent repairs or re-roof before the insurance company has inspected — repairs made too early can erase the very evidence that proves what you lost.

Step 3: Document Everything Before You Touch Anything

Once it is safe, your phone becomes your most valuable tool. Before debris moves or the cleanup crew arrives, capture the scene exactly as the damage left it.

1. Wide shots first. Photograph each room and the exterior from the doorway or corners, so every image has context.
2. Then close-ups. Get detail shots of damaged materials, waterlines, charring, and damaged belongings.
3. Walk and talk. Record a slow video walkthrough, narrating what you see. Ten minutes of video today can answer questions that come up ten months from now.
4. List damaged contents. Start a simple inventory: item, brand or model, approximate age, location. Photograph serial numbers and labels when you can.

And the one that surprises people: don't throw anything away yet. Not the soaked rug, not the melted appliance, not the drywall the crew cuts out. Damaged items are evidence — stage them in the garage or carport until the insurer has inspected or told you in writing you may dispose of them. When friends and ohana show up to help — and in Hawaii, they will — that aloha is a gift. Just channel it toward moving and staging, not hauling to the dump.

Step 4: Notify Your Insurer — Facts Only

Policies require prompt notice of a loss, so call your insurance company or agent once the immediate emergency is handled. When you do, stick to the facts: the date and time you discovered the damage, what you observed, and what you have done to protect the property.

What you should not do is speculate. If you are not certain what caused the damage, say so plainly — "we came home and found water in the hallway" is a complete answer. Guessing at a cause, minimizing the damage, or casually accepting fault can shape how the claim is categorized before anyone has investigated. Cause and coverage are technical questions; let the investigation answer them.

Before you hang up, write down the claim number, the name and direct contact of the adjuster assigned, and any deadlines mentioned. An inspection will usually follow — here is what to expect when the insurance company inspects your property.

Step 5: Start a Claim Diary

From here on, your claim will run on conversations — and memory fades fast in a crisis. Start a claim diary on day one. A notebook or a notes app, the format does not matter. Every entry should capture:

• The date and time of each call, visit, or email
• Who you spoke with, by name and role
• What was said — especially anything promised, approved, or requested

If an adjuster says the tarp cost is covered, note it. Months into a claim, the property owner with a diary is the one whose version of events holds up.

Step 6: Be Careful What You Sign

The first 72 hours bring a wave of paperwork, and some of it deserves a slow, careful read. Watch especially for:

• Mitigation and restoration contracts with open-ended pricing or work far beyond emergency protection
• Assignments of benefits, which can hand a contractor control over parts of your insurance payout — and your claim
• Early releases or quick settlement offers, which may close out parts of your claim before the full damage is known. Hidden damage — moisture inside walls, smoke residue in ductwork — often surfaces weeks later.

This gets harder after an island-wide event, when contractors are scarce, crews book out fast, and the pressure to "lock someone in" is intense — but a rushed signature is rarely the answer. Read everything, keep copies, and if a document affects your insurance proceeds, get a second set of eyes on it first.

Step 7: Get Your Own Representation Early

Here is what nobody tells you: the adjuster your insurance company sends works for the insurance company. That is not an accusation; it is their job. A public adjuster is the licensed professional who works only for you, the policyholder — documenting the loss, reading the policy, preparing the estimate, and negotiating on your behalf.

Timing matters. The earlier a public adjuster is involved, the more of the story your documentation tells — the scene is fresh, the evidence is intact, and the claim is built right instead of repaired later. Island Claims is headquartered on Maui, works on a contingency-fee basis, and serves property owners on every Hawaiian island. A Complimentary review of your damage and policy in those first few days can change how the entire claim unfolds.

The first 72 hours are heavy. Take them one step at a time: keep people safe, protect the property, document everything, say only what you know, and write it all down. Do that, and you will not be facing the rest alone.