When peril strikes, you may find it tough to navigate the red tape and paperwork of filing a home insurance claim. You may also worry that some of the damage won't be covered. Contacting a public adjuster is becoming a popular tactic to ensure an insurance claim is covered – and to avoid the headache of working with an insurance company.

A quiet hurricane season can lull us into complacency, but it’s important for homeowners in hurricane-prone areas to stay on top of weather reports and their insurance policies. "It's important to keep in mind that even one major hurricane can do catastrophic damage and it's important to be prepared just in case one strikes in 2014,” says Bonnie Schneider, national television meteorologist and author of “Extreme Weather.” Here are tips from insurance and weather experts on surviving a hurricane season.