Tips to protect you and your home following Tuesday's storms across Kentuckiana

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A storm that ripped across Kentuckiana in a matter of minutes on Tuesday has caused months of cleanup for some.

Many people spent Wednesday clearing out debris on their properties or neighbors, and making trips to the hardware store, like Brownsboro Hardware and Paint in Prospect.

"We didn't do any clean up last night, we waited until morning," one person said.

"We're just going to be focused on the cleanup process," said one man, whose roof was torn off his house.

Cleanup and repairing homes quickly is a priority, but the Better Business Bureau warns consumers to not move too quickly.

"Better to do a little bit of extra work up front then to hire someone just on a quick decision and then be scammed down the road," said Whitney Adkins, a spokesperson for the BBB serving Greater Kentucky and South Central Indiana.

The BBB offers these tips for storm victims looking to hire a contractor:

Try to get at least 3-4 quotes from contractors, and insist that payments be made to the company, not an individual
Do not pay for the job in advance, be wary of any contractor who demands full or half payment upfront.
Resist high-pressure sales tactics, such as the “good deal” you’ll get only if you hire the contractor on the spot
Businesses must be licensed, contact the Revenue Commission at 502.574.4860 to check out a company’s licensure
Many municipalities require a solicitation permit if salespeople go door-to-door. Verify that they need to have a permit by contacting your local Township or Municipality or call Permits & Licensing at 502.574.3321
Get a written contract that specifies the price, the work to be done, the amount of liability insurance coverage maintained by the contractor, and a time frame
Pay by credit card, if possible; you may have additional protection if there’s a problem

The BBB also encourages people to find reputable companies through their insurance to avoid any scams.

Adkins said she is unaware of any scams that have taken place following Tuesday's storms, but said the types of scams that follow storms are not recognized by consumers sometimes for several weeks.

While you may wait for estimates and contractors to get back in touch, Doug Carroll at Brownsboro Hardware and Paint said it is important to make temporary fixes to your home to avoid further damage.

"As long as you’re somewhat comfortable getting up on a ladder and getting a tarp up there and taping it down with some heavy duty gorilla tape, it is just going to buy you some time in case it rains before you can get a contractor out there to look at it," Carroll said.

He said that stocking up on certain items could be beneficial in case of future storms.

Carroll recommends having a generator, flashlights, extension chords, tarps, and water all in stock. He added checking if contractors are part of the Home Builders Association is another way to verify a company is legitimate.

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