Rethinking Recovery: A Smarter, More Responsible Approach to Identifying Property Losses of All Sizes

For public adjusters and property damage professionals, time and trust are the most valuable resources. Manual storm tracking can create the illusion of accuracy, yet often delivers incomplete or outdated data. The result? Hours lost, delayed response, and outreach that misses the people who actually need help.


The challenge isn’t a lack of information—it’s the fragmentation of it. Most tools only show part of the picture, making it difficult to understand the location of significant damage and who was truly impacted.

Here are five ways to identify verified losses more effectively using Dorothy Alerts while maintaining a fair, data-driven approach to recovery:

1. Use Storm Severity Layers + Cluster Detection


When severe weather hits, Dorothy automatically maps the storm footprint and enriches it with verified property and impact data.


Instead of scanning scattered alerts, you can visualize clusters of affected properties, including residential neighborhoods and commercial hubs, allowing professionals to identify where help is needed most.


This allows for more coordinated outreach and fairer distribution of recovery efforts across entire communities.

2. Apply Verified Property Insights


Dorothy filters properties based on verified assessment data, helping professionals understand the scale of damage across all property types, not only high-value claims.

By applying transparent criteria, teams can prioritize inspections where verified impact is greatest, ensuring equitable and efficient response.

3. Track Historical Storm and Claim Patterns


Dorothy’s ZIP-level analytics reveal historical claim frequencies—like payout rates and acceptances—and storm patterns across each region.


This helps identify repeat-impact zones or areas that may experience ongoing structural or infrastructure strain which allow for proactive preparation before the next event.

Combining real-time alerts with historical context ensures professionals understand not only where losses happen, but why they recur.


4. Cross-Reference Storm Impact With Community Data

   
   

In the Affected ZIP Codes dashboard, users can view property counts, median values, and population data at a glance.


This is critical. Disaster recovery professionals can better understand the broader community footprint of a storm—from high-density neighborhoods to rural areas that might otherwise be overlooked. The goal isn’t to chase value, but to deliver response where verified data shows the greatest overall need.

5. Use Dorothy’s Auto-Generated Property Lists for Verified Impact
   
   

Within minutes of a storm alert, Dorothy compiles Property Lists showing:


• Total number of affected properties

• Geographic concentration of damage

• Scope and concentration of potential impact

• Aggregate property characteristics within affected areas


These lists serve as ready-to-use situational overviews, helping teams deploy efficiently, validate outreach decisions, and avoid redundant efforts.

About the Author

Dorothy is a technology company helping property owners recover faster and more fairly. Dorothy leverages data, machine learning, and AI to quickly and accurately identify properties impacted by storms of all types and sizes. By partnering with public adjusters, legal services, and restoration companies, Dorothy helps the recovery industry operate more efficiently and at greater scale, ensuring property owners are no longer left without advocacy during a difficult claim and recovery.