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Pensacola · Pensacola Beach · Escambia County
Isaias damage in Pensacola: what to do now, and how to document your claim
If Isaias left damage at your home, condo or business in Pensacola, Pensacola Beach or elsewhere in Escambia County, the first days matter for your safety and for your insurance claim. This page walks through the practical steps: staying safe, stopping further damage, documenting everything, and understanding how your policy treats wind and water.
Many Pensacola owners have been through this before with Ivan in 2004 and Sally in 2020. A new storm on top of older repairs makes good records even more important, because the insurer will want to know what Isaias did and what was already there.
We respond to requests you start, Monday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. ET.
Right after the storm
Safety first, then protect the property
Follow local officials
Return only when officials say your area is safe, and follow curfews, boil-water notices and road closures.
Stop further damage, and keep every receipt
Your policy generally expects you to take reasonable steps to protect the property: tarp roof openings, board broken windows, remove standing water and start drying. Keep receipts and photograph the work. Hold off on permanent repairs until the damage is documented, unless waiting is unsafe or would make the damage worse.
Document before you throw anything out
Photograph and video damaged flooring, drywall, furniture and belongings before they go to the curb. When practical, keep a small sample, such as a piece of carpet or flooring. If something must go right away for health reasons, photograph it first and write it down.
Specific to Pensacola
Follow Escambia County and City of Pensacola instructions
Wait for officials to say it is safe before returning to Pensacola Beach, Perdido Key or other barrier-island areas, and before driving through flooded streets.
Watch for bayou and low-street flooding
Water near Bayou Texar, Bayou Chico, Bayou Grande and other low areas can rise and fall with the bay. Don't walk or drive through standing water, and photograph high-water marks once it's safe.
Check the roof from the ground first
Look for missing shingles, lifted metal panels, damaged soffits and fascia, and debris impacts. Don't climb a wet or damaged roof. A roofer or adjuster can inspect it safely.
Your duties under the policy
- Give your insurer prompt notice of the loss, and write down the claim number, date and the name of everyone you speak with.
- Protect the property from further damage and keep records of what you spent.
- Make the damaged property available for inspection, and keep the damaged items you can until the insurer has seen them or says otherwise.
- Provide the records and documents the insurer reasonably requests, and a sworn proof of loss if your policy requires one.
Read the "Duties after loss" section of your policy, because the exact wording controls. In general, Florida law expects notice of a new or reopened property claim within one year of the date of loss, and a supplemental claim within 18 months. Don't wait: prompt notice is a policy duty.
Documentation
How to document the damage
Photos and video, date-stamped
Start outside: all four sides of the building, the roof as far as you can see safely from the ground, fences, screen enclosures and outbuildings. Then go room by room, wide shots first, then close-ups.
The roof and openings
Missing or lifted shingles, tiles or metal panels, damaged soffits, fascia and gutters, broken windows and doors, and any debris impacts.
Water lines and water entry
Photograph the highest water line on walls, cabinets, fences and the garage, and the stains on ceilings and walls. Note whether water came from above (roof, windows) or from rising water outside.
Contents list
List damaged belongings room by room: what it is, brand or model if known, about how old, and what it cost or would cost to replace. Receipts, bank statements and old photos help.
Repair and living-expense receipts
Keep receipts for tarps, fans, dehumidifiers, board-up, tree and debris removal. If you can't live at home, keep receipts for hotel, meals above your normal costs, and mileage. Additional living expense (loss of use) coverage depends on your policy.
Tips for Pensacola properties
- Photograph the outside of the home from all four sides, then each roof slope you can see safely from the ground.
- If water came in, photograph the ceiling stains, wet drywall and floors in each room, plus any water line on walls, fences or the garage.
- For Pensacola Beach or Perdido Key units, photograph balconies, sliders, hallway damage and any notices the association posts.
- Keep receipts for tarps, fans, dehumidifiers, board-up and tree removal, and for hotel, meals and travel if you can't stay at home.
Coverage basics
Wind vs. flood and storm surge
Wind and wind-driven rain
Homeowners, condo (HO-6) and commercial property policies generally cover wind damage, and rain that gets in through an opening the wind created, subject to your deductible, limits and exclusions.
Flood and storm surge
Most homeowners and condo policies exclude flood and storm surge. That water is generally covered only by a separate flood policy, such as an NFIP policy or a private flood policy.
When it's both
Many properties have both wind and water damage. If you have both policies, report the loss to both insurers, and document where water came in and how high it rose. That evidence is how the damage gets assigned to the right policy.
Flood insurance information from FEMA's FloodSmart ↗
A note on your deductible
Whether your hurricane deductible or your regular (all other perils) deductible applies depends on how Isaias was classified while it affected Florida, the timing of the hurricane watches and warnings, and your policy wording. Florida law defines when the hurricane deductible applies.
Don't assume the damage is below your deductible just because it looks small at first. Hidden roof damage, interior water and contents can add up.
Estimate your deductible with our hurricane deductible calculator →
Before you sign
Be careful what you sign
Read every contract first
Before signing with a contractor, roofer, water-mitigation company or public adjuster, read the scope, the price, the payment terms and how to cancel. Take a copy. Don't sign anything blank or rushed.
Assignment of benefits
An assignment of benefits (AOB) hands your insurance claim rights to someone else. For residential and commercial property policies issued on or after January 1, 2023, Florida law generally doesn't allow assigning post-loss benefits. If a document mentions assigning or directing your insurance payments, ask what it means before signing.
Deductible offers and door-to-door pressure
Be cautious of anyone who offers to waive or pay your deductible or offers gifts for filing a claim. Florida law prohibits contractors from making those offers. You can check a contractor's license at MyFloridaLicense.com and a public adjuster's license with the Florida Department of Financial Services.
Fees in writing
Public adjuster fees must be in a written contract. In Florida, for claims from a declared state of emergency, public adjuster fees are generally capped at 10% of claim payments during the first year after the declaration.
This is general information, not legal advice. Your policy and the facts of your loss control.
Escambia County
What's different about claims here
Bay, bayou and Gulf exposure
Pensacola faces Pensacola Bay and Escambia Bay, with bayous reaching into neighborhoods and Santa Rosa Island across the sound. One address may see wind damage while the next sees rising water, so the cause of each loss matters.
Older homes and code upgrades
Historic and older homes in areas like East Hill, North Hill and downtown may need repairs that trigger current building-code requirements. Ordinance-or-law coverage, if your policy has it, may help with those added costs.
Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key condos
Unit owners usually deal with both the association's master policy and their own HO-6 policy. Keep association notices and get the master-policy claim contact early.
Repairs from earlier storms
If your home was repaired after Sally or Ivan, gather permits, invoices and photos of those repairs. They help show the condition of the property right before Isaias.
Official local information
For closures, re-entry, shelters, debris pickup and permits, rely on your county and city.
Free claim review
Tell us what Isaias damaged
Start with your contact details and a short description. Photos are optional. Asking for a review doesn't hire the firm and costs nothing.
Prefer to talk? Call or text (239) 444-8101
We respond to requests you start, Monday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. ET.
About American Financial Claims
Armando Ferrer is individually licensed as a public adjuster in 15 states. American Financial Claims holds Florida firm license G288962. A public adjuster represents the policyholder, not the insurance company. Every claim depends on the policy and the facts, and no outcome is guaranteed.
Questions
Common questions after Isaias
My Pensacola home was repaired after Sally. Will the insurer blame old damage?
Insurers often ask whether damage existed before the storm. Repair invoices, permits and photos from after the Sally repairs help show the condition of the property before Isaias. We can review what you have and point out gaps.
I own a condo on Pensacola Beach. Who handles the damage?
It depends on what was damaged and how your association's documents divide responsibility. Common elements usually fall under the master policy, and the interior of your unit and your belongings usually fall under your HO-6 policy. Report the loss to both when in doubt, and keep copies of everything.
Should I call my insurance company first?
You should give your insurer prompt notice of the loss, as your policy requires. You can also talk with us before or after you report it, to organize photos, dates and policy questions. A free review doesn't obligate you to hire anyone.
Does the free claim review cost anything?
No. The initial conversation and review are free. If American Financial Claims represents your claim, the agreement and fees are explained in writing before you sign.
The insurer's adjuster already came out. Is it too late?
Not necessarily. You can still document damage you find later, and estimates or payments can be reviewed. Keep everything the insurer sends you, including the estimate and any letters.
General information for property owners after Isaias. Not legal advice, and not a promise of coverage or payment. Your policy and the facts of your loss control. American Financial Claims is not affiliated with any insurance company or government agency.