7 On Your Side: 7 tips to be ready for another disaster

NEW YORK (WABC) -- After Superstorm Sandy made landfall, it's been a windfall, as 7 On Your Side has helped recover millions of dollars for storm victims.

Along the way, we've learned some vital lessons. So we'll go over seven top tips that could save you big bucks before the next catastrophe.

We badgered an insurance company to finally pay up and tow a storm tossed boat out of a backyard, and took a chainsaw to a price gouging tree contractor's bill. Now, we've gone back to the future, for some lessons learned.

In March of 2012, the Scala home on Staten Island was a shell, with work stalled when no claim checks came through.

We helped get them $40,000 in insurance money. And today? Their home's gone from gutted to glorious.

But before the next disaster, they'll do a contents inventory, making copies of sales receipts and keeping photos in a safe place out of their home to prove losses to insurance.

And on the south shore of Long Island, Jane Letterman faced a tough recovery. We stepped into Jane's nightmare and helped get her more than $200,000 in relief.

The lesson? She used only licensed contractors to raise her house up 14 feet. If your contractor is unlicensed, you'll have no recourse with Consumer Affairs if there's a dispute.

Maria Puglisi also learned a $12,000 lesson. Make sure you check out disaster-tax deductions. If your losses offset your salary, you could get a big tax break.

And there's Union Beach's Joanne Keating. Sandy washed away her home and then her cruise. Next time she'll look into getting trip insurance. Weather delays are covered, but we got her family a cruise anyway.

And for homeowners, check your trees now and get them pruned before a disaster happens. Check all used cars out with a licensed mechanic to make sure you don't get a flood salvage car. And after a disaster, watch for gouging. Remember that gouging laws are only triggered if your state is declared a disaster.