Missouri storm season is no joke. Here's how to spot hail and wind damage on your roof — and the smart, fast steps to take afterward.
If you've lived in West St. Louis County for even a season, you know the drill: a warm spring or summer afternoon turns dark, the sky takes on a green tint, and suddenly hail is hammering the roof and high winds are bending the trees. Missouri sits in one of the more active severe-weather corridors in the country, and our spring and summer storms regularly bring hail, straight-line winds, and torrential rain. Your roof takes the brunt of it. Here's how to tell whether a storm did damage and what to do about it.
Hail doesn't have to be golf-ball-sized to hurt a roof. Even smaller stones, driven by wind, can bruise asphalt shingles — knocking the protective granules loose and creating soft spots that fail early. High winds, meanwhile, lift and crease shingles, tear them off entirely, and drive rain up under the edges. Because most homes here have asphalt shingle roofs, which are vulnerable to both, a single strong storm can age a roof years overnight — sometimes without any obvious sign from the ground.
Some damage is obvious; a lot of it isn't. After a storm, you can do a careful ground-level check, but never climb onto a wet or storm-damaged roof yourself. Here's what to look for:
Important: hail damage is often invisible from the driveway. A roof can look fine and still have dozens of bruised spots that will leak or fail prematurely. The only reliable way to know is a close-up inspection.
The most important step after a storm is to have your roof inspected by a roofer who knows what storm damage actually looks like. At Ballwin Roofing Co., our roof inspections are free with every estimate. We get up on the roof, document everything we find with photos, and give you a clear, honest assessment of whether there's real damage and how serious it is. There's no obligation — sometimes the news is good and your roof came through fine. Either way, you'll know where you stand instead of guessing.
Time matters after storm damage, for a few reasons. Compromised shingles and broken seals let water in with the next rain, and St. Louis storms tend to come in waves. The sooner damage is found and addressed, the less chance it turns into interior damage, mold, or a much bigger repair bill. If water is actively coming in, our 24/7 emergency roofing team can tarp and stabilize your roof right away to stop further damage while a permanent fix is arranged.
At the same time, be smart about who you let on your roof. After every big storm, out-of-town "storm chaser" crews flood the area going door to door. Work with an established local roofer you can find again next year — one with a real local address and phone number, who will stand behind the work with a workmanship warranty.
Whether or not you end up filing anything with your insurer, good documentation protects you. Note the date of the storm, take photos of any visible damage to the roof and property, and keep the inspection report and photos your roofer provides. Having a clear, dated record of the damage and the storm that caused it is always useful to have on hand.
The right fix depends on how widespread the damage is. Isolated wind damage — a few torn shingles or a damaged flashing — is usually a straightforward repair. Widespread hail bruising across the whole roof, or significant damage on an already-aging roof, often calls for a full replacement, which our storm damage restoration service handles start to finish. If you're weighing the options, our guide on repair vs. replacement walks through how to decide.
We respond to storm damage across Ballwin, Ellisville, Wildwood, Chesterfield, and all of West St. Louis County. If the latest round of Missouri weather has you wondering about your roof, the safest move is a quick, free inspection — call us at (636) 317-5023 and we'll take a look.
Get a free post-storm roof inspection — and fast emergency help if you need it.
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