Storm and hail damage are some of the most common insurance claims of the year; hailstorms cause far worse damage than just the average run-of-the-mill storm – and they can be very unpredictable, causing hundreds of dollars’ worth of damage at a time that can include damage to property and anything in reach of hailstones.
How to Determine If Roof Is Damaged from Hail and How Often to Inspect Your Roof?
Hail damage often hits the sides of the house first, but can also be known to dent cars in its way or smash out windows. Hail damage can also commonly cause damage to the roof – and often the roof is the worst affected when it comes to serious hailstorms. How do you know that your roof has hail damage? How often should you assess the roof hail damage? Here’s the essential information on potential roofing damage after hailstorms and how to spot it.
ALWAYS Check After Storms
The cardinal rule for hailstorm damage is to always assess the level of potential damage after a storm has taken place; this way, you never miss a thing – and you can see the state of your roof before any other issues start to crop up as a result of the initial damage. Not checking for signs of hail damage after storms means that you could end up with worse damage to your roof later on when there is a weak spot or hole in the roof. Leaks are also something that might happen over time as a result of hailstorm damage.
Check Under Other Circumstances
After a storm is not the only time when you should consider checking your roof for damage. Check periodically, at least once every two to three months. Even if you aren’t experiencing any issues with the roof, it’s worth checking – and even if you aren’t aware of any recent storms, it’s still worth checking. It saves you time and it saves you money; it could also turn out to save you the possibility of further damage or weak spots in the roof that could cause later issues.
Homeowners Should Also Check
If you are a new homeowner, you should also check for any damage to the roof when you have moved in. Even though most owners would only think to check from the first storms that they experience after moving in, they often forget to account for any storms that the previous owners of the house might have lived through without fixing the damage the storms might have caused. Doing the first check as a homeowner establishes what damage (if any) the previous owners of the house left over for you – and additionally, it allows you to do something about it.
The Damage Storms Could Cause
Storms could cause a lot of damage to the roof; depending on the type of roof you have, you could end up with dents, holes, weak spots or missing tiles in the roof – and you might not see this until you’ve checked. If this described storm damage is left without repairs, it might not stand up against the next storm that happens after it. This leads to even more long-term damage that can all be traced back to the damage during the initial storm – and again, you could have saved yourself a lot of money and time just by fixing these issues at the right time when they happened to begin with.
What Are the Odds?
Don’t count on the fact that storms or storm claims are unlikely for your area or state: Global weather is experiencing serious changes, and it has led to a change in weather and a shift in what even experts expect the weather to do – and it could mean that previously unaffected areas are affected by storms where they aren’t characteristically known for it.
There were 5,382 major hailstorms in 2019, according to the NOAA’s Severe Storms database. In 2018, 4,610 major hailstorms occurred, resulting in $810 million in property and crop damage. According to a review of claims data from ISO ClaimSearch®, from January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2018, the top five cities for hail loss claims were:
- San Antonio, Tex. (75,187)
- Colorado Springs, Colo. (67,920)
- Omaha, Neb. (52,803)
- Denver, Colo. (48,357)
- Plano, Tex. (42,659)
From 2010 to 2019 the top states with the highest hail claims:
- South Dakota
- Nebraska
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Wyoming
- Montana
What are the odds of your house being affected by a hailstorm?
The truth is that the odds are a lot more than you might think right now. Make sure that you complete a regular roof assessment or hire an expert who can do it for you regularly. From there, ensure that you are insured against any potential storm risks – clearly, even in unlikely areas.
Are You Insured?
Are you insured against potential roofing damage that a hailstorm might cause? There are many people and businesses who assume that they are covered and find out after the storm has passed that they are not – and this is a risk that many people take just because they never thought to check. Always check with your insurer what your regular insurance policy covers versus doesn’t: You might find that hailstorm coverage is separate – and almost always necessary if you do not have it.
Why Document Storm Damage
Storm damage should always be documented when it happens: It’s an essential part of a damage assessment, and it could be what your insurance company requires in the event of a claim. No assessment? It could mean that your insurance company won’t pay for the repair costs.
Call Us Today
If you are in need of roofing, windows, siding or gutter work, please contact us today and set up an appointment. McKinnis is an Omaha roofing company safely serving the Blair, Omaha, and Lincoln areas, and we would be happy to help you with your next home exterior project!