Enrichment · Life Skills

After the water,
the paperwork.

The weeks after a disaster are a pile of calls, claim numbers and deadlines, while you are also tearing out drywall. Keep it in one record: safety first, photos before cleanup, insurance before FEMA, every receipt, and a countdown to the registration deadline.

Start your recovery listWhat you get
$5one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $5

Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Life skills kit, $29 for 28 items.

Your recovery

The worked example is made up: a household three weeks after a river flood with the insurance claim open, FEMA registration not done and $2,497 in receipts. Saved on this device only.

Loading the recovery form. If nothing appears, turn on JavaScript.

What you get

Enrichment · Life Skills$5

What you finish with
A record per disaster with the date, the declaration, the FEMA deadline, registration and claim numbers and the inspection date; 21 steps in four groups (safety, recording the damage, claims and help, repairs); every recovery expense with its kind and date. Counts down to the FEMA deadline and the 60-day flood proof of loss; flags steps not done and full payment up front; totals expenses by kind.
Who it is for
Households recovering from a flood, storm, wildfire or other disaster, and the relatives or volunteers helping them keep track.
Format
Browser organizer with a saved record per disaster. Prints the record, a summary or a blank copy; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv) of every step and expense; exports and imports a file to move between phones and computers.
Access
$5 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Life skills kit ($29) and the Enrichment Suite pass ($119), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Life Skills space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Add the disaster, the date and whether it was declared for individual help.
  2. Work through safety before anything else.
  3. Photograph every room before you clean, and save every receipt in the expense list.
  4. Open the insurance claim, then register with FEMA before the deadline.
  5. Print the record for calls with the insurer, FEMA and contractors.

Start your recovery list

Insurance first, FEMA next

Recovery in the order that protects your money1SafeOfficialssay you cango back2PhotosEvery room,beforecleanup3InsuranceOpen aclaim, geta number4FEMARegister ifdeclared5SBA loanIf FEMArefers you6RepairsLicensed,permitted,paid asdoneFEMA cannot pay for losses insurance covers, so the claim comes first. Registeranyway; it keeps the deadline.Recovery in order1SafeOfficials say you can go back2PhotosEvery room, before cleanup3InsuranceOpen a claim, get a number4FEMARegister if declared5SBA loanIf FEMA refers you6RepairsLicensed, permitted, paid as done
Register with FEMA even while the insurance claim is open; the deadline does not wait for the adjuster.

What FEMA can and cannot do

FEMA’s Individual Assistance helps with basic, uninsured needs after a disaster declared for individual help: temporary housing, essential home repairs and some other costs. It cannot duplicate what insurance pays, which is why it asks about your claim. Many people are referred to the Small Business Administration, whose disaster loans also cover homeowners and renters.

Taking care of yourself

Exhaustion, trouble sleeping and short tempers are common for weeks after a disaster. The Disaster Distress Helpline, 1-800-985-5990, takes calls and texts at any hour. If anyone is thinking about suicide, call or text 988. In an emergency, call 911.

Sources

  1. Federal Emergency Management Agency. Disaster Assistance and How to Apply (disasterassistance.gov, fema.gov).
  2. FEMA, National Flood Insurance Program. Filing a Flood Insurance Claim and the proof of loss (floodsmart.gov).
  3. U.S. Small Business Administration. Disaster Assistance: Home and Personal Property Loans (sba.gov).
  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Carbon Monoxide Poisoning After a Disaster and Food and Water Safety After a Disaster (cdc.gov).
  5. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Disaster Distress Helpline (samhsa.gov).

The worked example is made up. Programs, deadlines and amounts depend on each declaration and your policy; FEMA, your insurer and your local emergency management office are the final word. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.