Homeowners in the Houston area affected by the tornado should file a wind suit, the lawyer said.

Homeowners affected by the EF3 tornado through Pasadena and Deer Park can file a claim for their homeowner’s wind insurance.

Nishi Kotari is an attorney at Brasher Law Firm specializing in fraudulent insurance claims and commercial injury matters. She said that a standard homeowners insurance policy covers the repair or replacement of your home and its contents in the event of damage, and various damages can be filed under a wind damage claim.

“Whether your shingles are lifted off the roof and water gets through, or a fence that gets blown away, or even trash in the yard,” Kotari said. Or, say, tree branches fall and break a window.”

Kothari also noted that homeowners insurance is different from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

FEMA focuses on national disaster response and provides short-term assistance. At the time of this writing, FEMA has yet to state that it will help with tornado cleanup in Deer Park and Pasadena.

Kothari said that while the process can be tedious, keeping track of repairs can benefit homeowners in the long run.

“You have an insurance claim. They will ask you questions like “when was the last time you changed this item?” Kotari said. “And it’s hard to think about all this during a natural disaster, but if you keep up with it at the same time, then it’s very easy to flip.”

Kothari also said that tracking repairs could help in the future if a homeowner wants to sell their home.

The City of Deer Park and the City of Pasadena are working to open a Joint Disaster Recovery Center today (Friday) and over the weekend for recovery information and other resources, including a repair and cleanup business guide. The center will be open in the afternoon from 13:00 to 18:00, with additional dates and times added as needed.