Don’t repair flooding damage too quickly. Or, if you have to, at least document it first with photographs.

That’s the advice of county emergency management director Randy Frank, who notes that current disaster declarations are open-ended and additional flooding remains likely.

Even if a disaster claim proves warranted, it’s often difficult to obtain payouts for two separate repair jobs done during the same period unless there is photographic proof of both jobs, Frank said last week.

Putting in two claims also might involve two separate reductions for the deductable portion of insurance coverage.

Waiting until all threat of flooding has ended could recoup one of those deductibles.

The true extent of damage also might not be known immediately, Frank said.

“Most of our structures are frame,” he said. “That’s wood, and you know what happens when wood gets wet: mold.”

Costly mold problems might not immediately present themselves but could push a claim into a more reimbursable range, Frank said.

Life-threatening conditions should still be repaired immediately, he stressed, but less urgent repairs might be delayed until rainy weather has passed and the full extent of damage can be assessed.