Tornado damage on a roof shows in a pattern: lifted and displaced covering, exposed or displaced decking, bent flashing, damaged ridge and gutters and damp framing below. This guide goes part by part, so a homeowner can see what to look for and what to leave to the roofer.
Key takeaways
- Tornado wind lifts whole sections of covering and can displace the decking under them.
- Flashing bends out of line at walls, chimneys and vents, and that is often the first sign of a strong wind.
- Ridges and gutters are easy to see from the ground and are worth photographing before anything is cleared.
- Damp framing and daylight in the attic are the signs that the damage reaches below the covering.
- The pattern on the roof is the evidence, and a dated inspection is the record of it.
The covering
Whole sections lifted, creased or torn away, often along one band across a slope, with the bare decking visible.
A tornado lifts covering in sections, not one shingle at a time. The damage often runs in a band across one slope, with the covering torn away at the edge and the exposed decking visible beyond it. Look for that band, and photograph it from the ground.
Do not walk the covering. Note where the damage is, and let the roofer inspect it with the right protection.
- Sections torn away in a band
- Bare decking visible beyond the band
- Creased and lifted covering around the edge
The decking and the framing
Decking shifted or pulled from its fixings, sheets missing, and framing that dips or cracks, which can be seen from the attic as daylight.
The decking is the part hidden under the covering, and it shows in the attic. Daylight through a gap, a sheet that has shifted, or a rafter that has dropped are the signs. A roof with framing damage needs an engineer's view before the covering goes on, and the roofer names that step.
From the attic, a homeowner can see daylight and wet framing. Do not stand under a dipping section, and call a roofer at once.
- Daylight through a gap in the deck
- A sheet that has shifted out of line
- A rafter or ridge that dips
The flashing and the joints
Flashing bent up, lifted or pulled from the wall or chimney, and vent collars torn or pushed out of place.
Flashing takes the force of the wind at every joint. Bent step flashing at a wall, a counterflashing pulled from a chimney and a vent collar pushed out of place are all signs the wind has reached the joints. These are often the most important repairs, because they are where water finds its way in.
Photograph each joint from the ground and note its position.
- Step flashing bent up at a wall
- Counterflashing pulled from the masonry
- Vent collars torn or pushed out
The ridge, the gutters and the downspouts
Ridge caps and vent lines lifted or missing, gutters torn from the fascia, and downspouts bent or disconnected.
The ridge and the gutters are the parts of the roof most easily seen from the ground. A ridge cap lifted or missing, a gutter run torn away and a downspout bent are all marks of strong wind at the top and the edge of the roof. Each should be photographed with its position before anything is moved.
A torn gutter can also show where the wind came from, which helps the roofer read the rest of the roof.
- Ridge caps lifted or missing
- Gutter runs torn from the fascia
- Downspouts bent or disconnected
What the attic shows
Damp framing, dark staining on the sheathing, daylight at the decking and wet insulation, which show that water has reached below the covering.
The attic is the best place to see how far the damage goes. Staining along a rafter, a wet patch of insulation or daylight at a joint shows the path the water took. A homeowner can check the attic with a torch, without going onto the roof, and should note each finding.
The attic record is kept with the photographs of the roof, and the roofer compares the two when the inspection is done.
- Damp framing and dark staining
- Wet insulation under the damaged slope
- Daylight at the decking or a joint
What to leave to the roofer
Everything that needs a roof walk, a deck check, a joint test or a repair. A homeowner's job is to see, photograph and record from the safe side.
A homeowner should not walk a damaged roof, test the decking with a foot or put a tarp on a torn section. Those are the roofer's jobs, done with protection and the right tools. The homeowner's job is to see the damage from the ground and the attic, photograph it with the date visible and record what was seen.
Once the roofer has inspected, the homeowner has the written findings to check against the photographs.
- No walking of a damaged roof
- No testing of the deck with a foot
- Photographs and notes from the safe side
How long after a tornado should the roof be checked?
As soon as it is safe to do so, while the damage is still easy to link to the event and before more weather changes it.
A roof checked soon after a tornado is easier to link to the event. The marks are fresh, the debris is still in place and the first rain has not yet changed the staining. Waiting weeks adds weather marks that make the record harder to read.
Book the inspection early, and keep the photographs from the first look as the start of the record.
- Check soon, while the marks are fresh
- Keep the first photographs
- Book the inspection before more weather
Can a homeowner tell the difference between a tornado and a strong wind?
Not reliably from the roof alone. The pattern of the damage, the path across the property and the event record help a roofer make the call.
A strong straight-line wind can lift covering and bend flashing, and a tornado does too. The difference is in the pattern: a tornado path is narrower and more sharply defined, and the damage often shows a rotation in the debris. A roofer and the event record together give the best answer.
A homeowner should record what was seen and leave the classification to the event record and the roofer.
- The pattern across the property
- The path against the event record
- The roofer's written view, with its basis
How should the damage be described in the record?
By position, by pattern and by what was seen from which vantage point, without guessing at a cause that cannot be seen.
A good description of tornado damage names the slope, the position on it, the pattern and the vantage from which it was seen. A line such as covering torn away along the east edge, seen from the yard, is more useful than a general statement that the roof was hit. Where the cause is not visible, the record should say so.
The roofer adds the classification, if it is made, as an opinion with its basis. A homeowner's record stays with what was seen.
- Name the slope and its position
- Name the pattern and the vantage
- Mark the cause as an opinion if it is one
What about damage that appears weeks later?
Hidden damage can show after the first rain or the first cold spell. A homeowner who checks the ceilings and the attic after each weather event records the change.
Some damage takes time to show. Decking that was cracked may soften after weeks of damp, and a stain that was faint can darken after the next rain. A short note after each weather event, with the date, records the change and shows whether the damage is spreading.
Report any new change to the roofer at once, and ask for it to be added to the record. A later finding is easier to link to the storm when the record shows it was watched.
- Check the ceilings and attic after each weather event
- Note each change with its date
- Report new changes and add them to the record
A short order of work for the homeowner
Make the area safe, record from the ground, write the notes, then call. Each step is short, and each one makes the roofer's visit more useful.
A homeowner who has a tornado-damaged roof can follow a short order. First keep people clear and cover nothing that needs a climb. Second, photograph the house, the roof edge and the yard from the ground, with the date visible. Third, look in the attic from the hatch and note what is wet, dark or open. Fourth, write a short note of the storm time, the wind and the first sign. Fifth, call a roofer and read the notes out.
That order keeps the homeowner safe and gives the roofer a record to start from. It also keeps the homeowner's observations separate from the roofer's findings, which is what makes both useful later.
- Keep people clear and climb nothing
- Photograph the house, the edge and the yard
- Look in the attic from the hatch
- Write the note, then call a roofer
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell tornado damage from hail damage?
Tornado damage shows in lifted and displaced sections and bent metal in a pattern. Hail shows as round bruises and dents. A roofer makes the call on the roof.
Can a tornado damage a roof without any visible sign?
Yes, for the decking and the framing. The attic is where a hidden loss shows first.
Should I take photographs of the roof from the air?
Not from a drone unless you know how to fly it safely and legally. Photographs from the ground are enough for the record.
What is the first thing to do?
Keep people clear, cover open areas if safe, photograph from the ground and call a roofer.
Sources
This guide is general information for Muscogee County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.