A storm just hit your area. Your roof may be damaged. Here’s exactly what to do, hour by hour.
We’ve helped thousands of Midwest homeowners navigate storm damage. This is the same advice we’d give our own family. Follow this timeline and you’ll protect your home, your insurance claim, and your wallet.
If you need help right now, call Frontline GC at (844) 766-3748. We answer storm calls 7 days a week.
Hour 0-1: Safety and Immediate Assessment
Do not go on your roof. Not to check damage. Not to lay a tarp. Not for any reason. Wet roofing materials are slick, structural damage is invisible from above, and downed power lines can energize anything metal. Every year, more homeowners are injured after storms than during them.
Walk the perimeter from the ground. Look for:
- Missing or displaced shingles
- Dents in metal vents, gutters, or downspouts
- Fallen tree limbs on or near the roof
- Siding damage or broken windows
Check inside your home. Start with the top floor and attic.
- Water stains on ceilings or walls
- Dripping or pooling water
- Wet insulation in the attic
- Daylight visible through roof boards
If water is actively entering your home, place buckets to collect it and move valuables away. A temporary tarp from the inside can redirect water if you can safely reach the attic.
Hour 1-4: Document Everything
Your insurance claim lives or dies on documentation. Start now, before anything gets cleaned up.
Take photos and video from the ground. Get wide-angle shots of the full exterior, then close-ups of damaged shingles, dented gutters, cracked siding, and broken windows.
Photograph interior damage. Water stains, wet carpet, damaged belongings. Timestamp matters. Your phone does this automatically.
Document the neighborhood. If hail hit your house, it hit your neighbors’ houses too. Photos of widespread damage strengthen your claim.
Save every receipt. Tarps, buckets, plywood, hotel stays if you’re displaced. Your policy likely covers reasonable temporary repairs and living expenses. Keep every receipt from day one.
Hour 4-24: Contact Your Insurance Company
Call your insurance carrier to file a claim within 24 hours. Most policies require “prompt notice,” and waiting can complicate your claim.
What to say:
- “I’d like to report storm damage to my property.”
- Give the date and time of the storm.
- Describe visible damage. Stick to facts.
- Ask for your claim number and the adjuster’s timeline.
What NOT to agree to:
- Don’t accept a settlement over the phone. The adjuster hasn’t seen your roof. A phone estimate is almost always too low.
- Don’t sign a “proof of loss” document until a qualified contractor has inspected and you understand the full scope.
- Don’t let the insurance company choose your contractor. You have the legal right to pick your own in all 50 states.
Write down your claim number, the adjuster’s name, and every detail from the call.
Day 1-3: Get a Legitimate Inspection
This is where homeowners get burned.
The Storm Chaser Warning
Within 24-48 hours of any major storm, trucks with out-of-state plates will flood your neighborhood. Crews will knock on doors offering “free inspections.” They’ll pressure you to sign a contract on the spot.
Do not sign anything with a door-knocker.
These are storm chasers. They follow severe weather across the country. They don’t have local offices or proper state licensing. They won’t be here in 6 months when the work fails. The “contract” they push often includes an Assignment of Benefits (AOB) clause that signs over your insurance rights to them. Once you sign, you’ve lost control of your claim.
We’ve seen homeowners in central Iowa and middle Tennessee sign AOB agreements, then watch storm chasers negotiate with their insurance carrier, pocket the difference, and do substandard work. By the time the roof leaked again, the company’s phone number was disconnected.
A legitimate contractor looks like this:
- Local office you can visit. Physical address, not a P.O. box.
- State licensing for IL, IN, IA, or TN.
- Verifiable insurance — general liability and workers’ comp.
- Online reviews that predate the storm by months or years.
- No pressure to sign immediately.
- Will meet your insurance adjuster on-site.
Here’s something most contractors won’t tell you: most storm damage can wait 24-48 hours for a proper inspection. Unless water is actively pouring in, you have time to choose the right contractor. Don’t let a door-knocker’s urgency override your judgment.
Schedule your free inspection or call (844) 766-3748. We’ll meet your adjuster on-site to make sure nothing gets missed.
What NOT to Do After Storm Damage
- Don’t climb on the roof. We said it once. We’re saying it again.
- Don’t sign anything under pressure. “This offer expires today” means they’re not looking out for you.
- Don’t let unknown contractors onto your roof. An uninsured worker injured on your property becomes your liability.
- Don’t throw away damaged materials. Your adjuster may need to see them.
- Don’t make permanent repairs before the adjuster visits. Temporary measures are fine. A full re-roof before inspection can void your claim.
- Don’t post repair details on social media. Insurance companies monitor public posts.
Midwest Storm Reality: Know Your Season
Iowa ranks in the top 10 states nationally for hail damage. May through August, severe hail can drop stones larger than golf balls across the I-80 corridor.
Tennessee faces a dual threat. Tornado season runs March through June, and middle Tennessee sits in a secondary tornado alley. Straight-line winds cause more cumulative roof damage than tornadoes.
Illinois and Indiana get everything: spring tornadoes, summer hail, fall windstorms, and winter ice storms that create ice dams and tear gutters off homes. Ice dam damage is deceptive — you may not see it until spring thaw reveals ceiling stains.
The timeline above works in every state. Safety. Documentation. Insurance. Legitimate contractor. That sequence protects you every time.
Your Next Step
If you’re reading this after a storm, you’re already ahead. You haven’t signed anything rash. You haven’t climbed on your roof.
- Follow the timeline above, step by step.
- Call your insurance company within 24 hours.
- Call Frontline GC at (844) 766-3748 for a free storm damage inspection.
We’ll send a licensed inspector, meet with your adjuster, and give you an honest assessment. If your roof doesn’t need replacing, we’ll tell you. That’s how we’ve built our reputation across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Tennessee.
Call (844) 766-3748 or request your free inspection online. We’re here when the storm hits — and we’re still here long after the storm chasers leave town.