After the Storm: The Spring Roof Check, in Order

Work from the ground first. Walk the property line with a phone camera: shingles in the yard, debris, dented gutters and vents, and any tree contact, all photographed with the date on the record. From the street, use binoculars or a zoom photo for the slopes; a wet or debris covered roof is not a place for a homeowner in the first day after a storm.

Spring translation of the storm check: start with the yard, because Beryl taught this community the order. Shingles in the yard mean openings above, and the next rain band, not the next week, is the deadline they set. Photograph from the ground by slope, keep the fallen shingles, and note the storm date, because the claim is filed under Beryl's date or the next storm's date, not the discovery date. Then the attic hatch: insulation damp in a line means the entry is already mapped for whoever climbs next.

Inside, the check is ceilings and the attic hatch: new stains, a drip line, damp insulation. Note which storm produced them, because leaks surface 12 to 72 hours after an event as trapped water moves, and the claim is filed under the storm date, not the discovery date.

Then decide in order: an open roof or active drip is a tarping call today. Damage you can only see as marks and yard shingles is an inspection this week. Either way, keep the photos and any fallen shingles until the assessment is done; they are evidence, not trash.