A storm just came through and something is wrong with your roof. Maybe you heard an impact. Maybe you're watching a stain spread across the ceiling. Maybe you found shingles in the yard and aren't sure what's underneath.
The next hour matters. Not because permanent repairs need to happen immediately — they don't — but because the decisions you make right now determine how much additional damage occurs, and how strong your insurance position will be when the adjuster shows up.
This guide covers what to do in the first hours after storm damage: in the order you should do it, with enough detail to do it right. For the full picture on hail and storm damage — identification, insurance, contractor selection — our hail and storm damage guide covers everything in depth.
Step 1. Safety before anything else
If you can see downed power lines near your home, or smell gas — stop. Call 911. Do not approach your roof or yard until utility crews have cleared the hazard. No inspection is worth that risk.
Once you've confirmed there are no immediate electrical or gas hazards, a quick ground-level scan before you go near the roof:
- Check the roofline from the yard — is it sagging or visibly deformed? Structural instability means stay out of the attic until a professional has assessed it
- Look for hanging tree limbs over the roof — they can shift or fall without warning after a storm
- Check for standing water near your electrical panel or any exterior outlets before re-entering the home
- Walk the perimeter looking for debris, exposed nails from torn flashing, and broken glass before letting kids or pets outside
If you need to access your attic to check for water intrusion, bring a proper flashlight — not your phone — and step only on joists, never between them. Wet insulation and water-damaged decking can give way.
If you're going to look at the roof surface at all, use binoculars from the ground first. In most cases that's enough to establish whether something urgent is happening. Stay off a wet roof.
Step 2. Decide: true emergency or urgent-but-not-immediate
Not every storm damage situation requires action in the next hour. Getting clear on which situation you're in helps you respond proportionately.
True emergency — act within the hour
- Active water entry into living spaces or attic
- Large sections of roofing material missing or structural damage visible
- Tree limb or debris has punctured the roof deck
- Significant rain is forecast within 12 to 24 hours and you have exposed underlayment
Urgent but can wait for a scheduled inspection
- Missing shingles or wind damage discovered after the storm in dry conditions — see our article on wind damage to roofs for what to look for and how to assess it
- Dented gutters, lifted flashing, scattered granules — visible damage but no active water entry
- Ceiling stain that appears old or dry — may be from a previous event, worth documenting and investigating
The weather forecast is often the deciding factor. Exposed underlayment in dry conditions is not an emergency. Exposed underlayment with rain coming tomorrow is.
Step 3. Document before you touch or move anything
Your insurance claim is built almost entirely on what you document in the first few hours. Once you move things, clean up, or make temporary repairs, the picture gets harder to reconstruct.
What to photograph
- Full exterior shots from all four corners of the house — establishes baseline condition
- Close-ups of specific damage: missing shingles, dented gutters, damaged flashing, any debris on the roof
- A reference object next to hail impacts — a coin or tape measure shows the adjuster the size of what hit
- Gutters and downspouts — granule accumulation here is evidence of shingle impact damage
- Interior: any ceiling stains, wet insulation visible through the attic hatch, water on floors
- Chimney cap, skylights, solar panel mounting hardware if your home has them
Written notes to capture
Before the details fade: write down the date and approximate time of the storm, which direction the wind came from, any sounds you heard (impact, cracking, hail on the roof), and when you first noticed water entry if applicable. This narrative supports your photos and helps the adjuster understand the sequence.
Check NOAA storm data for your zip code and screenshot it. Insurers use this to verify a qualifying storm event occurred on the date you report — it's a simple piece of supporting evidence that's easy to gather now and hard to reconstruct later.
Keep every receipt for any protective materials you purchase. Tarps, plastic sheeting, buckets — these are claimable expenses, but only with proof of purchase dated after the storm.
Step 4. Stop active water entry
If water is actively coming in, your goal right now is to slow or redirect it — not fix it. Here's what actually works.
Inside the home
Place buckets or bins under active drips, positioned on towels or plastic sheeting to protect the floor underneath. If water is pooling behind a ceiling and you can see a bulge, puncture the lowest point with a screwdriver to drain it in a controlled stream into your bucket — a ceiling that's allowed to fill and collapse creates far more damage than a controlled drain.
Move anything valuable away from the affected area. Water travels along joists before it drips, which means the stain you see on the ceiling is usually not directly below where the roof was breached. Cast a wider net when moving items.
Run fans and open windows if conditions allow — mold can begin establishing within 24 to 48 hours in damp conditions. Getting air moving early is worth doing.
On the roof — only if it can be done safely from a ladder
A heavy-duty tarp — 6-mil polyethylene or thicker — secured with boards along its edges (never nails, which create new penetrations) and extended at least four feet beyond the damaged area on all sides. Anchor the boards with weight rather than fastening them to the roof. One properly installed tarp is worth more than three hastily thrown ones.
If you're dealing specifically with missing shingles, our article on shingle blow-offs covers how to assess urgency and what temporary protection looks like.
If the exposure is large, if the roof pitch makes it unsafe to access from a ladder, or if another storm is coming soon — call a roofing company for emergency tarping rather than attempting it yourself. Many companies including ours will come out for emergency protection on short notice.
Step 5. Who to contact, and in what order
This is where a lot of homeowners get it backwards — and it costs them.
Call your roofing contractor first
Get an independent inspection and written damage report before you contact your insurer. This gives you a professional's assessment of what the storm caused — not what an adjuster working through a high-volume claims period documents on a quick visit. That report also demonstrates to your insurer that you took the situation seriously and acted promptly.
We offer free inspections within 24 to 48 hours, often same day for active emergencies. (512) 259-9486.
Then call your insurance company
Most Texas homeowners policies require prompt notification of storm damage — within days, not weeks. Call the claims line, provide your policy number, describe the damage and the date of the storm, mention any temporary protection you've put in place, and get your claim number. Ask when an adjuster will contact you to schedule the inspection.
For a breakdown of what Texas homeowners policies typically cover, what they exclude, and how ACV vs. RCV affects your payout, see our article on storm damage insurance coverage.
The detailed claims process — what to expect from the adjuster, how ACV vs. RCV policies work, how to handle a low estimate — is covered in our insurance claim guide. That's the depth you need when you're preparing for the adjuster visit, not in the immediate aftermath of the storm.
A note on contractors who come to you
After any significant Austin storm, out-of-state roofing crews arrive and start knocking on doors. Some are legitimate. Many are not. A contractor who pressures you to sign on the spot, who offers to waive your deductible, or who can't provide a local address and proof of insurance is one to walk away from regardless of how the pitch sounds. There's no deal that's only good for the next fifteen minutes.
→ Choosing a contractor: Our article on roofing storm chasers covers the specific warning signs and how to verify any contractor before signing anything.
→ Insurance process: For the full step-by-step insurance claim walkthrough — from adjuster prep through recovering depreciation — see our article on insurance claims.
Need help right now?
If you're dealing with active storm damage in Austin or the surrounding area, call us directly. We've been responding to storm emergencies in Central Texas since 1986. We'll come out, assess the damage, help with temporary protection if needed, and give you an honest picture of what you're dealing with — before you talk to your insurer.
No down payment. No pressure. Free inspection, typically within 24 to 48 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Yes — active water entry is an emergency regardless of when the storm occurred. The source may have been delayed by water working its way through insulation and decking, or the initial entry may have been slower than a direct puncture. Active moisture in your home's structure creates mold risk within 24 to 48 hours and causes compounding damage to drywall, insulation, and framing. Treat it as urgent.
Roofer first. An independent inspection before the adjuster visit gives you documentation of what the storm actually caused — not what a busy adjuster captures in a quick walkthrough during a high-volume claims period. That report also establishes that you responded promptly and took reasonable protective steps, which matters for how your claim is processed.
Do what you safely can from a ladder — tarp any obviously exposed areas — and document everything thoroughly in the meantime. Then call your insurance company to report the claim and establish the date. Most reputable Austin roofing companies prioritize storm emergencies and can get to you within 24 to 48 hours. If you have active water entry and can't get same-day service, call around — don't wait several days hoping your first call will work out.
The key question is whether water can get in. Missing shingles, punctures, lifted flashing, or any opening in the roof surface that exposes underlayment is a potential water entry point — how urgent it is depends on what weather is coming. Dented gutters, scratched surfaces, and granule loss are significant for insurance documentation purposes but don't create immediate water risk. When in doubt, get an inspection. The cost of a free inspection is nothing compared to discovering a month-old moisture problem.
Yes, and your insurer expects you to take reasonable steps to prevent additional damage — that's actually a policy requirement in most cases. The important things: photograph everything before you do anything, keep all receipts, and stick to protective measures (tarping, moving belongings, draining pooled ceiling water) rather than permanent repairs. Permanent repairs made before the adjuster's inspection can complicate your claim by making the original damage harder to document. Temporary protection is both smart and expected.