What to Do in the First 48 Hours After a Hailstorm

The hours right after a storm are the ones that determine how smoothly everything else goes. Not because you need to rush into a contract — you absolutely do not — but because evidence is freshest now, and a few simple actions protect you later.

First: do not get on the roof

Wet shingles, hail on the ground, and adrenaline are a genuinely bad combination. More people are hurt inspecting storm damage than by the storm. Everything worth documenting in the first hours can be documented from the ground.

Photograph everything, with timestamps

Take pictures of the hail itself if any is still on the ground, ideally next to a coin or ruler for scale. Photograph dented gutters, downspouts, screens, the AC unit, and anything else with visible impact marks. Photograph the interior too if there is any staining or active dripping.

Your phone timestamps these automatically, which matters more than people realize. Insurers care about establishing that damage came from a specific dated storm event.

Handle active leaks, temporarily

If water is coming in, contain it. Buckets under drips, furniture moved clear, and a photo of the affected area before you clean anything up. If you can safely reach the interior side of the leak, a tarp in the attic under the drip is better than nothing.

Do not attempt a roof tarp yourself. That is roof work, in bad conditions, on a surface that is now compromised.

Call your insurer, and understand the clock

Report the damage to your carrier. You do not need a contractor lined up first, and you do not need to know the extent of the damage. You are opening the claim and establishing the date.

Ask specifically about your wind and hail deductible, since it is frequently different from your standard deductible and is often a percentage of your dwelling coverage.

Take your time on the contractor

Here is where people get hurt financially. Within a day of any significant storm, your neighborhood will fill with door knockers creating urgency: limited crews, prices going up, sign today. There is no legitimate reason to sign a contract on your doorstep the day after a storm.

Get an inspection. Get documentation. Get it in writing. Then decide.