The stormy weather this week caused property damage across New Jersey. News 12’s Walt Kane spoke with an insurance industry expert to get advice on making the claims process go smoothly if your property is damaged during a storm.

Loretta Worters, of the Insurance Information Institute (III), says the key is not to get overwhelmed and file a claim quickly.

“You'll have the adjuster come,” Worters says. “They'll take a look at what the damage has been. You want to make things a little easier for yourself. Take a home inventory of all the damage. Take pictures that will make the process go more smoothly.”

Worters recommends having a photo inventory of your house and contents before the storm but also advises homeowners to take photos to document the damage after the storm hits. She says that’s especially true before throwing out any items that were damaged or waterlogged.

“We prefer people not remove things,” she says, “but if they need to, it's good to take a picture of that so the insurance adjuster can see what the item was.”

Worters says homeowners insurance policies will generally cover damage from wind and should cover damage from a falling tree or tree branch to your home, garage, or any other structure, such as a gazebo. That’s true whether the tree originated on your property or your neighbor’s.

The one thing most homeowners' policies won’t cover is flood damage. That requires a separate flood insurance policy. Most lenders require flood insurance coverage on homes that are located in a flood plain. But even homeowners who don’t live in a flood plain can opt to get flood insurance if they want to, and given the lower flood risk, the rates are typically considerably cheaper.