Whether it comes up while talking to insurance or booking a repair job, you may come across the question of what counts as storm damage. In either of the above cases, it is always best to check the fine print of each company’s specific policies. However, in general, things can be understood to be storm damage if they are damage that has been incurred during a storm.
One of the most common types of storm damage a roof will have to deal with is wind damage. This is when high winds rip away shingles from the top of your roof, leaving it incomplete and exposed. In these cases, it is always the best idea to have these shingles replaced as soon as possible.
Another type of storm damage is the type of damage caused by flying objects. Whether this is hail, sticks and branches ripped free from nearby trees, or maybe even a flying shingle from a nearby roof, this type of storm damage usually shows up as a strong, blunt impact on your roof, causing dented, dislodged, or cracked sections of your roof. In some extreme cases, whole sections of your roof might collapse as a consequence of a large section of a tree falling onto it. These cases are definitely considered storm damage and may be the first kind you think about when you hear the term.
Water damage is also a concern and is caused by water pooling in only one place for a long period of time, eventually wearing away the material of your roof until it gets through to the interior of your home.
Whatever damage your roof has sustained during a storm, it is always better to seek repairs than to assume your problem will not count as the “right kind” of damage.