North Texas sits in one of the most active hail regions in the country, and the season has a shape. Severe storms are most frequent from March through early June, with a smaller second peak in the fall. They tend to build in the afternoon and arrive late in the day or after dark, which means much of the damage is discovered the next morning. Last spring we wrote about roof leaks and water intrusion after storms. This post is about timing: when the season hits, what to do in the first hours, and how to avoid the mistakes that storm season invites.
Before the season: a 30-minute walk
In late winter, walk the property. Look for lifted or missing shingles, cracked pipe boots and flashing, gutters pulling away, and tree limbs over the roof. Check that attic vents and turbines are intact. Know where your roof drains and whether downspouts carry water away from the foundation. Photograph the roof from the ground and from an upstairs window; a dated set of pre-season photos is useful if you later need to show that damage is new.
When a storm is forecast
Move vehicles under cover and bring in patio furniture, which becomes debris in high wind. Charge phones. If you have a history of water intrusion at a particular spot, put a bucket and towels there before you go to bed. Do not go on the roof to check anything in advance of a storm or in the dark after one.
The first hours after
- Safety first. Downed lines, broken glass and slick surfaces are the immediate hazards. Stay off the roof. If the ceiling is sagging or bulging with water, stay out from under it; a saturated drywall ceiling can come down.
- Stop the water. If rain is coming in, the priority is an emergency tarp over the opening and, where windows or doors are broken, board-up. This is emergency mitigation and policies expect you to take it promptly.
- Protect contents. Move furniture and belongings out from under active drips and off wet floors. Put plastic or foil under furniture legs on wet carpet.
- Document. Photograph and video the exterior from the ground, the interior damage, hail on the ground with something for scale, and the time. Note the date and approximate hour of the storm; the National Weather Service publishes storm reports that help confirm the event for your claim.
- Report the loss. Call your carrier’s claims line. You do not need to wait for the adjuster to begin emergency mitigation.
- Get the interior drying started. Water through a roof wets insulation, ceilings and wall cavities. It starts as Category 1 water under the IICRC S500 standard, but insulation holds moisture for a long time and mold can begin within days. Structural drying should begin as soon as the opening is covered.
The storm-season contractor trap
Within a day of a large hail event, neighborhoods fill with door-to-door roofing solicitors. Some are legitimate. Many are out-of-area operators who will be gone by the time a leak shows up. Texas does not license roofing contractors at the state level, so the vetting is on you:
- Ask for a local physical address, how long they have operated in North Texas, and references you can call.
- Be cautious about signing anything the day of the visit, especially documents that assign your insurance benefits or authorize work before your adjuster has inspected.
- Be wary of offers to cover your deductible; that practice is illegal in Texas.
- Ask whether the same company will handle the interior water damage, or whether you will be coordinating a roofer, a drying company and a rebuild contractor separately.
One contractor for the roof and the water
A roof opening and an interior water loss are one event, and they are easier to manage as one project. Fire & Water Restoration Plus provides emergency tarping and board-up, structural drying, roofing repair and replacement, and the interior rebuild, and we document the exterior cause of loss and the interior moisture for your adjuster from the first visit. Our line is answered 24 hours a day at 972-455-8252, including the night the storm comes through.