Storms & Insurance · 5 min read
Storm Damage Checklist: What to Do in the First 48 Hours
Published
What you do in the two days after a storm has more effect on your insurance outcome than anything that happens later. Work through this list in order.
Hour one: safety and water
Stay off the roof. Check ceilings for staining or bulges, put containers under active drips, and move electronics away from wet areas. If a ceiling is bulging, poke a small drain hole at the lowest point over a bucket — controlled drainage beats a collapsed ceiling.
Hour two: document everything
Photograph the interior damage, the yard debris, dented gutters, damaged screens, and anything on the ground that came off the roof. Note the date and time of the storm. This ground-level evidence supports the roof claim later.
Day one: mitigation
Get the roof tarped by a licensed contractor. Insurers expect reasonable mitigation, and keeping the invoice matters — most policies reimburse it. Do not sign anything that assigns your claim benefits to a contractor.
Day two: inspection and claim
Have a roofer inspect and produce a photo report before you call it in. Then file. Describe the loss accurately — the date of the storm and the observed damage — without speculating about causes or dollar amounts.
If any of this applies to your own home, our insurance claim assistance crews handle it every week, and you can see how we work in your area on our Troy, Ohio roofing page. Inspections and written estimates are free either way — call 937-749-7767.