Tornadoes, fires, even floods - putting your home back together after a loss is often the hardest part.
Denise Engle, with the Oklahoma Insurance Department, says, "If you've had a tragic event like a fire or tornadic event, weather event, the last thing you need to do is sit there and think, 'When did I buy that item and what was in that room?'"
That's why the National Insurance Commission developed this new app called "MyHomeScr-App-Book."
Engle says, "The great thing about it is you can go from room to room with your iPhone and actually inventory your items."
It's a big job - one Adrienne Proctor is working on.
"I really like having on the app, the camera, so you can take pictures of your things," Proctor said.
An avid iPhone user, she says this app is the best way to keep track of her belongings.
"If you had to evacuate or had to leave your house, you'd want to make sure you could get ahold of your family so you'd definitely have your phone with you," she said.
Denise Engle with the Oklahoma Insurance Department says you should inventory everything from small decorative items to larger items like your furniture and appliances.
You should even inventory your dishes and electronics.
"I think it's a really good idea because most people don't have probably any other way to keep track of their things and if they did, it's probably in their house," Engle said.
The app lets you put in the exact value of an item, the brand, and there's even a way to scan the serial numbers; all critical information when it comes to filing an insurance claim.
"That's one of the first things an insurance adjuster will ask is, "Give me a list of the items that were lost," she said.
This app makes that list readily available, giving you one less thing to worry about when disaster strikes.
"The thing insurance does is help people put their lives back together and the thing we want to see is them put that life back together more quickly," she said.
Right now, the insurance app is only available for the iPhones.
If you don't have an iPhone, the commission recommends going through your house and taking pictures and making a file of the items and saving it either in a safe deposit box or a family member's or friend's home.
Copyright 2011 America Now and KFOR-TV. All rights reserved.
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