Checking Your Roof After a Kalamazoo Storm
Severe storms reach Southwest Michigan from spring through fall, and the 2024 Portage tornado showed how quickly they can damage homes. Here's how to check your roof safely afterward.
Request a rooferStay safe
Don't climb onto the roof. Keep away from downed power lines and any tree or limb resting on the house, and keep children and pets back from debris.
Walk around the house
Look for missing or lifted shingles, bent flashing, loose ridge caps and dented or pulled-away gutters. Binoculars help you see details from the yard.
Check inside
Look at upstairs ceilings and the tops of exterior walls for new stains, and check the attic with a flashlight for wet decking or insulation.
Hail signs
Hail leaves dark bruises where granules are knocked off, dents in gutters and metal vents, and granules piled at the bottom of downspouts.
Photograph everything
Take wide and close photos of any damage, debris and fallen trees before anything is moved, and note the storm's date.
Temporary cover
If water is getting in, a roofer can tarp the area. Catch drips and move belongings in the meantime.
Check contractors
After major storms, unlicensed crews knock on doors. Check any roofer's Michigan license and get a written contract.
Check again later
Some damage, like a lifted shingle, only leaks weeks later. Look at ceilings again after the next heavy rain.
Get help
See storm and wind damage and send a request with your photos.
Insurance timing
Many policies have time limits for reporting damage. Report it promptly and keep the roofer's written findings with your photos and receipts for tarps or emergency repairs.
More roofing guides
Roof trouble in the Kalamazoo area?
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