HISTORY. NBC'S KERRY SANDERS IN
HOUSTON. KERRY, GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> Reporter: GOOD MORNING. I'M INSIDE THE WADDLER HOME.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE WATER IN SOME PLACES WAS 3 1/2-FEET DEEP.
THE CLEANUP HAS BEGUN. AND IT'S HAPPENING FROM HOUSE TO
HOUSE TO HOUSE, THROUGHOUT THE HURRICANE ZONE.
LET ME TAKE YOU OUTSIDE AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT WAS CREATED HERE
WAS ABOUT TEN YEARS WORTH OF HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE IN JUST A
MATTER OF DAYS. IF A HURRICANE HAS STAGES,
FIRST, THERE IS, OF COURSE, SURVIVAL.
THEN, THE, THERE IS THE CLEANUP WHICH IS UNDER WAY RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN, THERE IS THE REBUILDING PROCESS.
INSURANCE COMPANIES BELIEVE, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THEY HAVE SOME
HIGH-TECH THAT SHOULD BE ABLE TO SMOOTH WHAT IS A VERY TRYING
PROCESS. THIS MORNING, FOR SOME VICTIMS,
THE ENORMITY OF HARVEY'S LONG-TERM IMPACT ONLY JUST NOW
COMING INTO FOCUS. >> ABOUT EVERYTHING WE OWN WAS
DESTROYED. >> Reporter: HOUSTON HOME OWNER,
MICHAEL WADDLER HAD FLOOD INSURANCE AND HOMEOWNERS
INSURANCE. BUT STILL, HIS WORRIED.
>> YOU WONDER WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE GOING TO PAY YOU ENOUGH
TO GET BACK WHAT YOU LOST. >> Reporter: AS SOME SETTLE INTO
A NEW DAY-TO-DAY SURVIVAL IN THE HURRICANE ZONE, AMERICA'S
INSURANCE INDUSTRY IS FACING A BIG TEST.
THIS COULD BE ONE OF THE COSTLIEST NATURAL DISASTERS IN
U.S. HISTORY. INSURANCE LOSSES ESTIMATED AS
HIGH AS $37 BILLION. ON A RUNWAY IN CORPUS, CHRISTY,
THIS SMALL PLANE TAKING OFF WITH ULTRAHIGH-DEFINITION CAMERAS
ONBOARD. AERIAL PHOTOS TAKEN LAST YEAR OF
THE ENTIRE NATION, ALLOW ALLSTATE TO COMPARE IMAGES FROM
BEFORE AND AFTER HARVEY. INSURANCE COMPANIES HOPE THE NEW
TOOL CAN HELP SPEED UP THE CLAIMS PROCESS.
>> WHAT IT DOES IS IT PAIRS BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS WITH
SOME LEARNING FROM A COMPUTER TO IDENTIFY THE DAMAGE AND GET THAT
INFORMATION IN OUR HANDS, MAYBE EVEN BEFORE A CUSTOMER REPORTS A
CLAIM. >> Reporter: THIS IS THE FIRST
MAJOR NATURAL DISASTER, WHERE HOMEOWNERS AND INSURANCE
DISASTERS ARE USING DRONES TO SEE THE DEVASTATION FROM ABOVE.
>> IN SOME CASES, WE DON'T NEED TO GET OUT TO THE PROPERTY TO
START THE REPAIRS. >> Reporter: INSURANCE COMPANIES
LIKE ALLSTATE, STATE FARM AND TRAVELERS ARE FLYING DRONES.
>> WE USE DRONES TO GET A VISUAL OF THE DAMAGE.
AT&T AND VERIZON ARE USING DRONES TO KEEP PEOPLE CONNECTED,
LOOKING FOR DAMAGE TO CELL PHONE AREAS.
>> Reporter: IT'S A CRITICAL LINK FOR PEOPLE LIKE KELLY
DEKKER WHO HAVE LOST SO MUCH. >> I WASN'T EXPECTING THIS AT
ALL. >> Reporter: THOSE WITHOUT
INSURANCE, LIKE KELLY, HAVE TO NOW RELY ON CHARITY AND THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT THE
GOVERNMENT AND FEMA TO DO FOR YOU?
>> I'M EXPECTING THEM TO HELP ME.
TO HELP ME TRY TO FIND A HOUSE, TO WHERE I CAN SURVIVE WITH MY
FAMILY. >> Reporter: KELLY DEKKER, WHO
IS UNEMPLOYED LIKE SO MANY PEOPLE, WILL RELY ON THE
GOVERNMENT TO GET THAT HELP. THAT'S WHAT FEMA DOES.
THERE IS ONE CRITICAL DEADLINE. 60 DAYS TO APPLY FOR HELP FOR
HOUSING. MEANTIME HERE IN THIS HOME, THE
FAMILY SAYS THEY WILL REBUILD. BUT THEN COMES IS NEXT PROBLEM.
CONTRACTORS. BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH WORK
AND SO FEW CONTRACTORS, PEOPLE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL TO MAKE
SURE WHO THEY DECIDE WILL REBUILD THEIR HOUSE AFTER THIS
DISASTER. GUYS?
>> THAT'S INCREDIBLE TO SEE THE AFTERMATH AND KNOW THAT IT'S
REPEATED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TIMES AROUND