National
Do I need a roof inspection after this storm?
Tell the checker the largest hail you saw or heard reported, the strongest wind, what you can spot from the ground and your roof type, and it returns one of four answers. The cut-offs follow the National Weather Service definition of a severe thunderstorm.
Check your roof after a storm
What your answer means
Protect first, then book a repair
You ticked water stains or drips inside, or a tree or limb on the roof. That is damage already under way, so limit it first: stay off the roof, move belongings away from drips, and call for a repair. If you plan to claim, NRD's guide to documenting roof damage for a claim is worth reading before cleanup starts.
Book a roof inspection
You reported hail of 1 inch or larger, wind of 58 mph or more, trees or large limbs down nearby, a tornado or damage path nearby, or at least one visible damage sign. One inch and 58 mph are the NWS severe thunderstorm criteria, and the NWS office in Melbourne, Florida, warns that quarter-size or larger hailstones can damage roofs, dent cars and break windows. If a claim is likely, work through the photo checklist before anyone tidies the yard, because the pictures you take now are the ones nobody can retake.
A professional look is worth it
You reported penny-size hail, 3/4 inch, or strong gusts that stayed below severe. Penny size was the NWS minimum for severe thunderstorm warnings until January 5, 2010, when the criterion moved up to 1 inch.
Probably fine — do a ground check
Nothing you reported meets the rules above. Walk around the house once in daylight, look again after the next heavy rain, and run the checker again if you notice something new.
The thresholds in one place
| What you saw | Checker answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hail 1 inch (quarter) or larger | Book a roof inspection | NWS glossary |
| Hail 3/4 inch (penny) | A professional look is worth it | NWS service change notice 09-52 |
| Wind 58 mph (50 knots) or more | Book a roof inspection | NWS glossary |
| Tornado or damage path nearby | Book a roof inspection | SPC EF scale: EF0 starts at a 65 mph gust |
| Strong gusts below 58 mph | A professional look is worth it | NWS Burlington wind chart |
Warnings can carry an extra tag. The NWS labels a warning's damage threat considerable for 1.75-inch hail or 70 mph winds and destructive for 2.75-inch hail or 80 mph winds, and only the destructive tag sets off a Wireless Emergency Alert on phones in the warned area.
The rules are spelled out on how it works. To pin down what you actually saw, use the hail size guide and the wind speed guide.
Check the storm reports for your date
Pick a date and the checker links the Storm Prediction Center's report page for it. SPC builds each page from reports received between 1200 UTC and 1159 UTC the next day, which is 7:00 a.m. to 6:59 a.m. Central Daylight Time, so a storm in the small hours belongs on the previous date's page. Each page lists tornado, hail and wind reports with the time, size or speed, location, county, state and comments, and SPC marks all of them preliminary.
An empty list for your county is not proof nothing happened, because a report needs someone to see the weather and pass it on. NWS local storm reports come from spotters, local officials, media and the public, and they stay preliminary until they are certified and entered into Storm Data.
What a ground check cannot see
The first signs of wind damage are small. On the Enhanced Fujita scale's indicator for one- and two-family homes, the step after the threshold of visible damage is loss of less than 20% of the roof covering, gutters or awning, or vinyl or metal siding, with an expected wind of 79 mph. Hail arrives hard as well: the Melbourne NWS office says large hailstones can fall faster than 100 mph. That is why the checker's next step, when it flags something, is a hands-on inspection rather than a longer look from the yard.
When you are ready to book
The checker links NRD's storm center and find-a-roofer pages for the state you choose. You can also start from the national find-a-roofer directory or the NRD Storm Center, then check a contractor on NRD's roofing licensing guide before you sign. If you are filing a claim, read the National Roofing Directory's roof insurance claim process explainer first.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the checker use 1 inch and 58 mph?
They are the NWS definition of severe: a thunderstorm that produces a tornado, winds of at least 58 mph, or hail at least 1 inch in diameter. A severe thunderstorm warning goes out when radar indicates such a storm or a spotter reports one.
What if I did not see the hail myself?
Use the reports. SPC's daily pages list hail with its size in hundredths of an inch, and your local NWS office issues local storm reports relayed from people on the ground.
Should I climb up and look for myself?
No. The checker is built around what you can see from the ground, and anything it flags is a job for a roofer's inspection.
Sources
- National Weather Service definition of a severe thunderstorm — forecast.weather.gov
- quarter-size or larger hailstones can damage roofs — weather.gov
- NWS minimum for severe thunderstorm warnings until January 5, 2010 — weather.gov
- SPC EF scale — spc.noaa.gov
- NWS Burlington wind chart — weather.gov
- 1.75-inch hail or 70 mph winds — weather.gov
- reports received between 1200 UTC and 1159 UTC the next day — spc.noaa.gov
- tornado, hail and wind reports — spc.noaa.gov
- spotters, local officials, media and the public — weather.gov
- loss of less than 20% of the roof covering, gutters or awning, or vinyl or metal siding — spc.noaa.gov
- radar indicates such a storm or a spotter reports one — weather.gov