You know the hail was significant because you heard it. Quarter-sized, maybe golf ball. The kind where you stop whatever you are doing and just listen. The storm passes. Now what you do in the next 48 hours either protects your claim or creates problems with it. Here is the order of operations.
Step 1: Stay off the roof
Immediately after a storm, your roof is wet. Wet shingles are slippery. More importantly, hail may have compromised decking integrity in spots you cannot see from the surface. A 200-pound person stepping in the wrong place on damaged OSB is a different kind of emergency.
You do not need to be on the roof to document significant damage. Everything useful to your claim can be photographed from the ground and from inside your attic.
Step 2: Check inside the house first
Before you go outside, walk through your ceilings. Check every room. Look at the attic access point and listen for dripping. Look for water stains on ceilings and walls, especially near chimneys, skylights, and the peaks of two-story sections. If you see active water intrusion, place buckets, note the location, and photograph it with a timestamp.
If you can safely access your attic, go in with a flashlight. Look at the underside of the roof decking for fresh water stains. Check around pipe penetrations and at the ridge. Turn off your flashlight and look for daylight coming through the decking. If you see any of this, you have confirmed damage.
Step 3: Ground-level documentation
This is the most important step for your insurance claim, and you can do all of it before you call anyone.
Take your phone outside and photograph, in this order:
- Your house number or street sign as the first frame to establish location.
- Gutters: run your hand through the trough and look for granule buildup. Photograph the granules. Check for dents on the gutter body itself.
- AC condenser: the aluminum fins on the exterior condenser coil. Smashed, bent, or flattened fins are the single best ground-level indicator of hail size and severity. Adjusters look at this too.
- Siding: vinyl siding cracks on impact. Look for hairline fractures, especially on west-facing walls. Fiber cement shows circular impact marks similar to shingles.
- Window screens: holes or tears confirm hail trajectory.
- Deck surfaces and fence caps: horizontal surfaces catch direct impacts. Painted railings show chipped paint. Vinyl fence caps crack.
- Downspout base: granule accumulation here confirms the volume of granule loss from your shingles above.
Every photo you take is evidence. All of it. More is better. Your complete guide to documenting hail damage covers each of these in more detail.
Step 4: Look up the storm
Go to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center at spc.noaa.gov. The Local Storm Reports section archives hail size, time, and path data from official storm reports. Find your zip code and the event date. Screenshot the report. This is an independent, public record of what size hail hit your neighborhood and when. It is stronger than your memory of what you heard on the roof.
Step 5: Do not sign anything from door-knockers
They will come. Some within hours of the storm. They have legitimate-looking trucks and printed materials and a confident pitch about helping you through the insurance process.
Do not sign anything. Not a work authorization. Not a "free inspection agreement." Not an AOB contract. Not anything.
Your inspection does not need to happen in the first 24 hours. The filing deadline is months away. What you need in the first 24 hours is your own documentation, not someone else's signature on your insurance rights. Read the full guide on storm chaser red flags in Tulsa before you talk to any unsolicited contractor.
Step 6: Schedule a professional inspection
Do this within 3 to 5 days of the storm. Not because the damage will disappear, but because your evidence window is better when the damage is fresh. The inspection gives you a documented, independent damage assessment before your insurance carrier sends their adjuster.
A complete professional roof inspection after a hail event includes drone footage of all roof planes, close-up photos of individual impacts, moisture readings on the attic decking, documentation of all ground-level secondary evidence, and a written scope formatted for Xactimate. You hand this packet to your adjuster. It is the difference between a claim where you are guessing and a claim where you have evidence.
Step 7: File the claim with your carrier
File after you have the inspection report, not before. Walk into that call with documentation in hand. Tell them you have an independent inspection and request an in-person adjuster visit.
The filing itself is simple: your policy number, the date of loss, and a factual description of the damage. Do not estimate total cost. That is the adjuster's determination. Keep your description to the facts: hail damage to roof and exterior surfaces on [date]. Here is the full step-by-step guide to filing a roof insurance claim in Oklahoma.
Frequently asked questions about post-storm response in Tulsa
Should I climb on my roof after a hailstorm to check for damage?
No. Wet shingles are slippery, and post-storm roofs can have compromised decking that is not visible from above. You can assess significant damage from the ground and from inside your attic. Leave the roof walk to a licensed contractor with proper safety equipment.
How quickly do I need to file an insurance claim after hail damage?
Most Oklahoma carriers give you 180 to 365 days from the date of loss to file. The real urgency is evidence preservation: hail bruising on shingles fades under UV exposure after 60 to 90 days. Get documentation done within the first week, then file after you have the inspection report in hand.
What if I do not see any visible damage after a hailstorm?
Most hail damage on asphalt shingles is not visible from the ground. The characteristic bruising pattern and mat fractures that indicate functional damage require close inspection at roof level. If a confirmed hail event hit your neighborhood, schedule an inspection regardless of what you can see from the driveway.
Should I put a tarp on my roof after a storm?
If you have active interior leaking from storm damage, emergency tarping protects your home from additional damage and is generally covered as a mitigation expense under your policy. If you have no active leak, do not let anyone put a tarp on your roof without understanding the tarping agreement. Some contractors use tarping as a foot in the door to claim priority on the repair contract.
Hail hit your neighborhood?
We schedule inspections within 24 to 48 hours of a confirmed storm event. Free inspection, drone documentation, and a PDF you own before we talk about anything else.