Services
Document a loss
Support a claim
For carriers and employers
Service areas
Middle Tennessee
- Nashville
- Clarksville
- Murfreesboro
- Franklin
- Hendersonville
- Smyrna
- Spring Hill
- Gallatin
- Lebanon
- Columbia
- Brentwood
- Mount Juliet
- La Vergne
- Cookeville
East Tennessee
West Tennessee
Storm Damage Documentation Before Cleanup Begins
Delator Claims Division sends licensed Tennessee private investigators to record what a severe thunderstorm left behind on a property. The record is neutral and factual, made for carriers, adjusters, attorneys, property owners and tenants who need the condition preserved before cleanup.
- Coverage
- 95 of 95 counties
- Dispatch
- 24 / 7 / 365
- Metro response
- Under 60 min avg.
- Statewide
- 4-hour guarantee
What this service covers
A single line of thunderstorms can leave several kinds of loss on one lot: straight-line wind against siding and fencing, rain driven through openings, lightning effects on equipment, and limbs or loose objects thrown into walls and windows. These arrive together and are cleaned up together, which is why the question of which condition came from which event becomes hard to answer a week later.
Our role is limited to recording the property as it stands. An investigator photographs and films each affected area, takes measurements where the site allows, and writes factual notes on what is visible. Delator does not decide what caused a condition, whether a policy responds, what repairs are needed or what they cost. Those decisions stay with the carrier, the adjuster, and any expert the parties retain.
Situations where a storm record helps
- A carrier has more storm claims in one county than its field staff can inspect before owners start cleanup.
- Two storms crossed the same area within a few weeks and the parties disagree about which date of loss applies.
- An owner is out of state and needs the rental property recorded before the tenant or a contractor starts hauling debris.
- A fence, shed or carport was damaged and the adjacent owner's loose objects or structures appear to be involved.
- An attorney wants the whole lot recorded in one visit so that later scope disagreements have a common reference.
What the investigator records after a storm
- Whole-lot overview
- A walk-around sequence of every elevation, the yard, drive and outbuildings, so each close-up can be placed in relation to the rest of the property.
- Fencing, sheds and carports
- Leaning or flattened fence runs, shifted outbuildings and bent carport posts, with the direction of displacement shown and measured against fixed points on the lot.
- Openings and rain entry points
- Broken glass, displaced doors, torn screens and soffit gaps, paired with photographs of the wet interior surfaces directly inside each opening.
- Thrown and wind-borne objects
- Trampolines, furniture, limbs and other loose items at the position where they came to rest, along with any impact marks on walls or vehicles nearby.
- Exterior equipment and utilities
- Condensing units, meter bases, service masts, satellite dishes and generators as found, including visible scorch marks, displacement or detached lines, without opening or testing anything.
- Neighboring context from public view
- Conditions visible on adjoining lots and the street, such as downed limbs and similar siding loss, noted only as observed from the subject property or public right of way.
From request to delivered record
- RequestCall dispatch or submit the request form with the location, loss type and urgency.
- DeployDispatch assigns the nearest available licensed field investigator through the statewide network.
- DocumentPhotographs, video, measurements and factual notes are captured once the scene is safe to work.
- PreserveFiles are timestamped, organized and kept in their original form with a record of who captured them.
- ReportThe package is delivered securely to the requesting party, typically the same day.
Cleanup starts within hours and the evidence goes with it
Owners do what any reasonable person does after a storm. Limbs are cut and stacked at the curb, wet carpet is pulled, broken glass is swept, and a plastic sheet goes over the opening. Municipal crews and utility contractors clear the street and reset lines. Each of those steps is sensible and each one changes the scene. By the time a desk adjuster reviews the file, the fence has been stood back up and the debris pile is gone.
For that reason the timing of the visit matters more than its length. On an Emergency deployment an investigator can be on site in 30 minutes to 4 hours, and Rush and Routine tiers are available when the property is stable. If cleanup has already begun, the investigator records what remains, photographs the debris pile and any removed materials still on site, and notes plainly what had been changed before arrival.
Where storm claims are commonly contested
Disputes after a thunderstorm tend to turn on three things. First is date: whether a condition came from this storm, an earlier one, or no storm at all. Second is mechanism: whether interior wetting followed an opening created by wind or came through a gap that already existed. Third is extent: how many elevations, how many fence sections, how much of the interior. Each side usually has photographs taken for its own purpose.
A neutral record does not resolve those questions, and Delator does not offer an opinion on any of them. What it provides is a dated, complete set of images and measurements that both sides can examine. Weathered breaks next to fresh ones, rust on a fastener, dry leaves under a fallen panel, and the height of a water mark are recorded as they appear, and the people qualified to interpret them can draw their own conclusions.
On this assignment Delator field personnel record what is physically present: photographs, video, measurements and factual notes. They do not adjust, appraise or value the loss, do not determine coverage, cause or fault, and do not represent any party to the claim.
Delator Claims Division is not a law firm, an insurer or an engineering firm, and nothing on this page is legal advice.
Common questions about this service
Can you tell me whether the storm caused the damage?
No. Delator records the physical condition of the property and does not determine cause of loss. The photographs, video, measurements and notes are delivered to the requesting party, and cause is left to the carrier, its adjuster, or an engineer or other expert retained by one of the parties.
We have already cut up the limbs and covered a window. Is it too late?
Not necessarily. The investigator records the property as it now stands, including the temporary covering, the cut material and anything set aside. The field notes state what the occupant reports was changed and when. Any photographs you took before cleanup can be kept by you alongside our record.
Do you inspect the electrical system after a lightning strike?
No. The investigator photographs visible conditions such as scorch marks, damaged equipment housings and displaced service components from a safe position. Nothing is opened, tested or energized. Evaluation of wiring or equipment belongs to a licensed electrician or other qualified specialist.
Can a homeowner request this directly?
Yes. Property owners and tenants can request neutral documentation. For policyholders the service is documentation only. Delator does not adjust the claim, estimate repairs, negotiate with the carrier or act as a public adjuster, and it does not give advice about the claim.
Available statewide, including
Every Tennessee county is covered. See the deployment map for typical response tiers by county.
Request documentation anywhere in Tennessee
Dispatch is staffed around the clock. For time-sensitive scenes, calling is fastest; the request form works for routine and scheduled assignments.