Home Destroyed by tornado 9 days after purchase. What to expect?

[Zane Paul]

Bought a fixer upper. Started doing some remodeling, then a tornado came and tore the roof. Water poured into the attic. Soaked the insulation. Ceilings collapsed. Walls were dripping. Cabinets coming off, garage door broken, ac no longer cooling, gutters gone, window seals blown... Contractor estimated the repair cost to be roughly equal to the appraised amount. 

I'm nervous to file an insurance claim. I don't know if it was due to the pandemic or what, but neither the lender or the insurer sent anyone out to inspect the property during the purchase. I probably shouldn't have been approved for a loan, given the condition of the property (major foundation issue). Obviously I need to file a claim, but I'm nervous about what they might say upon their first time seeing the property. 

The damage from the storm plus the remodel in progress has it looking like a trap house. 

It was livable at the time of purchase. Only major problem was the foundation. Roof was good, no leaks, windows were good. I didn't lie at all when getting the insurance (never asked questions about foundation) and the lender never asked me anything after the appraisal. So I didn't do anything wrong. I'm just nervous because I've never made a claim before, and the damage is so extensive and it's so soon after moving in. 

Can anyone help me understand what I can expect in the claims process for a situation like this? 

[Greg M.]

You need to file the claim ASAP. Do not wait another day. Waiting can only have a negative affect on your claim.

There really isn't a need to worry. The insurance company knows there was a tornado in the area. You're not the first person to file a claim right after insurance went into effect. A claim is statistically just as likely to be filed on the first day insurance starts as any other day in the policy year. You're also not the first person to have this happen during a remodel.

If you removed anything for the remodel, the adjuster will want to know.