How To Recover From Natural Disasters: NJ Accountants Release 2026 Guide

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — When a natural disaster strikes, it helps to have a guide.

The New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJCPA) recently published its updated 2026 Disaster Recovery Guide. View it online here.

The free publication offers suggestions about how to reconstruct records lost in a natural disaster, how to avoid fraud when hiring a contractor, suggestions for filing an insurance claim, and what documents are best to keep on hand regarding tax implications.

The guide is updated annually with a list of emergency state and federal contacts, insurance websites and phone numbers throughout New Jersey and the nearby area. This year’s guide also includes revised IRS information, instructions on federally declared disaster sites and IRS locators throughout the nation.

FLOODING AND INSURANCE

Wild weather has been surging in New Jersey in recent years, with a major nor'easter causing severe flooding up and down New Jersey's coastline last weekend.

Related: Shark Swims Up Street, Shore Icons Destroyed, Loose Sailboat Wreaks Havoc

The NJCPA Disaster Recovery Guide contains some helpful guidance for homeowners who are filing insurance claims – which may come in handy for residents impacted by last weekend’s storm.

Their advice includes:

• Don't alter the condition of any damaged property until an insurance adjuster inspects it. You should, however, make necessary emergency repairs to prevent further damage.
• Take pictures of all damages, including your home's exterior, car, basement, roof and yard.
• Document all items and property that were damaged or destroyed. Note the cost, brand, model and date of purchase. Include any available receipts and pictures of the items (even if the item is in the background of a family photo, for example).
• Contact your insurance company as soon as you have all the information related to your incident.
• Ask a contractor to estimate the costs of repairs. Provide this information to your insurance adjuster. (If you do not know who can provide the type of work you need, ask your adjuster for references.)
• Record all expenses you incur as a result of property damage, including the cost of temporary repairs, hotel accommodations and meal expenses.
• If you are unhappy with the settlement you receive for your claim, contact the insurance company. If you do not receive satisfactory results, you may contact the Complaints Division at the New Jersey Department of Banking & Insurance by calling 609-292- 7272 or their Consumer Hotline 800-446- 7467.

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