After the Hailstorm: A Storm Damage Checklist for Nebraska Homeowners

After a hailstorm, confirm everyone is safe, cover any openings where rain can get in, document the damage from the ground, and contact your insurance company before agreeing to permanent repairs. Hail damage is easy to miss and easy to misjudge, so a careful walk-around is worth more than a fast one.

Step 1: Safety first

Nebraska hail rarely arrives alone. It usually comes with lightning, heavy rain, and straight-line wind, and sometimes with a tornado warning. Wait until the storm has fully passed before going outside.

• Stay far away from downed power lines and anything touching them. Report them to your electric utility, which is OPPD in the Omaha area and LES in Lincoln.
• Wear sturdy shoes and gloves. Broken glass, nails, and shingle debris end up in the grass.
• Stay off the roof. Wet shingles are slick, and you cannot tell from above whether the decking was weakened.
• If you smell gas, leave and call the gas utility from a distance.

Step 2: Keep more water from getting in

Most policies expect you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage.

• Put buckets under active drips and move furniture, rugs, and electronics out of the way.
• Cover broken windows from the inside with plastic sheeting or plywood if you can do it safely.
• Leave roof tarping to a crew with fall protection. Emergency tarping and board-up are part of storm damage restoration.
• Keep receipts for tarps, plywood, and other temporary materials.

Step 3: Document everything from the ground

Do this before any cleanup. Note the date and time of the storm. If hailstones are still on the ground, photograph a few next to a coin or tape measure.

Walk each side of the house and take wide shots first, then close-ups.

Roof, viewed from the ground or a window

• Missing, lifted, or creased shingles
• Piles of dark granules in gutters and at the bottom of downspouts
• Dents in roof vents, flashing, and chimney caps
• Cracked skylights

Gutters, siding, and trim

• Dented gutters and downspouts
• Cracks, chips, or holes in vinyl siding
• Dents in aluminum or steel siding and in fascia wrap
• Chipped paint on wood or fiber cement siding

Windows and doors

• Cracked or broken glass
• Torn screens and dented screen frames
• Dented garage door panels

Around the property

• Flattened fins on the air conditioner's outdoor unit
• Marks on the deck, fence, mailbox, and grill. Hail often leaves clean spots called spatter where it knocked off dirt or oxidation, and those spots show how big the hail was and which direction it came from.

Soft metals tell the story. If gutters, vents, and the mailbox show dents, there is a fair chance the shingles took hits too, even if the roof looks fine from the driveway.

Step 4: Check inside

• Look in the attic with a flashlight for wet insulation, damp roof decking, or daylight coming through.
• Check ceilings and the tops of exterior walls for new stains.
• Look again after the next rain. Some leaks do not show until then.

Wet insulation and drywall should be dried promptly, because mold can begin to grow on damp materials within about 24 to 48 hours. If water did get in, water damage restoration should start alongside the exterior work, not after it.

Step 5: Contact your insurance company

Call your agent or carrier and report the claim. A few practical points:

• Policies set time limits for reporting storm damage. Reporting sooner is better.
• Wind and hail coverage sometimes has its own deductible, which may be figured differently from your standard one. Your agent can tell you how yours works.
• An adjuster will usually inspect the property. It often helps to have your contractor present so both are looking at the same damage together.
• Do not discard damaged items until the adjuster has seen them or told you photos are enough.

Coverage always comes down to your specific policy. Our insurance claims page explains how we help with documentation and estimates.

Step 6: Choose carefully who does the repairs

After a large hailstorm, crews from outside the area often go door to door. Slow down and check a few things:

• A local, physical business address and a history of work in the area
• Proof of liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage
• References from recent customers
• A written scope of work and price before anything is signed

Read any form before signing it. A page presented as permission to inspect the roof can also be a contract that commits you to that company. Be cautious with anyone who offers to absorb your deductible or presses you to decide on the spot.

It is common for a single storm claim to include roofing, gutters, siding and windows, and some interior repair. Having one contractor coordinate all of it keeps the schedule and the insurance paperwork simpler. Air Force Restoration handles both the emergency side and the reconstruction for that reason.

Why minor-looking hail damage still matters

A hail hit can knock granules off a shingle and bruise the mat underneath without making a hole. The roof may not leak that week. Over time, sun and Nebraska's freeze-thaw cycles work on those weak spots, and a leak can appear long after the storm is forgotten. That delay is the reason an inspection is worth scheduling even when nothing is dripping.

A quick recap

1. Wait out the storm and watch for power lines and broken glass.
2. Stop water from getting in with temporary measures, and save receipts.
3. Photograph every side of the house before cleaning up.
4. Check the attic and ceilings now and after the next rain.
5. Report the claim and meet the adjuster.
6. Hire a local, insured contractor and read before you sign.