The First 24 Hours After a Hailstorm: A Mid-Missouri Homeowner’s Checklist

The hail just stopped. Your car alarm went off twice, the dog is hiding under the bed, and you can already see dents in the gutter downspout from the kitchen window. If you live in Columbia, Jefferson City, or anywhere in Mid-Missouri, you already know spring storms hit fast and hit hard. But what you do in the next 24 hours can make a real difference in how smoothly your insurance claim goes and how quickly your home gets back to normal.

This checklist walks you through what to do after a hailstorm hits your house, hour by hour, so you can protect your property and your wallet. If you suspect roof damage, our hail damage resource page covers everything from identifying damage to filing claims. For right now, though, you need a plan for the next 24 hours.

Key Takeaways

• Stay inside until the storm fully passes. Hailstones can still fall during lulls, and wet surfaces are dangerously slick.
• Check your vehicles and outdoor property first. Dents on your car confirm the hail was large enough to damage your roof.
• Photograph everything with a ruler or coin for scale. Date-stamped photos are the single most valuable thing you can bring to an insurance adjuster.
• Call your insurance company within 48 hours. Missouri policies typically allow up to a year, but early reporting protects you from depreciation disputes.
• Do not sign anything with storm-chaser contractors. A local roofer who will be here next year is worth more than a crew that follows the storm to the next county.

Hour 0-1: Safety First

The biggest mistake homeowners make during a hailstorm is going outside too early. A lull does not mean the storm has passed. Hail can return in waves, and the stones that cause the most damage often fall near the end of a storm cell when updrafts weaken and release the largest ice.

Stay inside until you have confirmed clear skies, not just a pause. Check the KOMU or KRCG radar on your phone. If your county is still under a severe thunderstorm warning, the storm is not over. The National Weather Service recommends having at least three ways to receive weather alerts, including a battery-operated NOAA weather radio.

Watch for These Hazards Before Going Outside

• Downed power lines or sagging utility cables (call Ameren Missouri immediately)
• Broken glass from windows, skylights, or patio doors
• Tree limbs hanging overhead or leaning against the house
• Standing water near electrical panels, outlets, or landscape lighting

Do not climb on the roof. This is worth repeating because it is the most common source of preventable injuries after hailstorms. Your roof is wet, likely covered in ice debris, and potentially weakened by impact damage you cannot see.

Leave the roof inspection to a professional with the right equipment and insurance.

Hour 1-4: Ground-Level Assessment

Once conditions are safe, start your damage assessment from the ground. Most homeowners want to check the roof first, but your car and outdoor property will tell you more, faster.

Start with Your Vehicles

Walk around every vehicle that was parked outside during the storm. Look at the hood, roof, and trunk lid. Hail dents on a car are easy to spot and confirm the size and intensity of the hail better than anything else.

Here is the connection most people miss: if your car has visible dents, your roof almost certainly has damage too. Asphalt shingles are softer than sheet metal, so a stone that dented your hood did worse to your shingles. If you are not sure what hail damage looks like on a roof, our visual guide on what hail damage looks like on a roof can help you identify the signs from the ground.

Check These Areas Next

• Window screens and storm doors. Dents and tears in screens are an easy-to-spot indicator of hail intensity. Photograph any damage before replacing them.
• Air conditioning units. Hail can bend the aluminum fins on your outdoor AC condenser, reducing efficiency or causing the unit to work harder. Check the top and sides facing the direction the storm came from.
• Deck railings and outdoor furniture. Wood, composite, and painted metal surfaces all show hail impact differently. Wood will have pockmarks, metal will dent, and composite may chip or crack.
• Siding. Vinyl siding cracks under hail impact rather than denting. Aluminum siding dents. Both types of damage are worth documenting and may be covered under the same claim as your roof.
• Gutters and downspouts. Look for dents along the top edge. Then look inside the gutter channel. If you see an unusual buildup of dark granules (they look like coarse, dark sand), that material came off your shingles. Heavy granule loss is one of the most reliable signs that your roof sustained damage even when you cannot see it from the ground.

For a more detailed walkthrough of what a professional inspection covers, see our guide to roof inspections and insurance claims in Mid-Missouri.

Hour 4-8: Document Everything

Insurance adjusters see hundreds of claims after a regional hailstorm. The homeowners who get the smoothest, fastest payouts are the ones who show up with organized, thorough documentation. Your phone is the most important tool you have right now.

Photo and Video Documentation Tips

Turn on your phone’s date and time stamp feature before you start. If your phone does not offer this natively, a free watermark app takes 30 seconds to set up. Date-stamped photos tied to the day of the storm carry far more weight than undated images submitted weeks later.

• Place a quarter, ruler, or tape measure next to each area of damage before you photograph it. This gives the adjuster a scale reference they can use to assess severity without visiting in person first.
• Shoot each damaged area from at least two angles: one wide shot that shows location context (which side of the house, which part of the car) and one close-up that shows the damage detail.
• Walk a slow video loop around the entire exterior of your home. Narrate what you see as you go. “This is the north side of the house, you can see dents in the aluminum siding and the window screen is torn.” A two-minute video walkthrough is often more useful than 30 individual photos.
• Collect a handful of the hailstones if any remain on the ground. Photograph them next to a ruler. The size of the hail directly affects how your adjuster evaluates potential roof damage.

Do Not Forget the Interior

Exterior damage gets all the attention, but interior signs can be just as telling. Grab a flashlight and check these areas.

• Attic inspection. Look at the underside of the roof decking for daylight pinholes, water stains, or wet insulation. If you can see light through the roof boards, water will follow.
• Ceilings in upper-floor rooms. New water stains, bubbling paint, or discoloration that was not there before the storm suggests a leak has already started.
• Around windows and doors. Check for water intrusion along the frames, especially on the side of the house that faced the storm.

Document everything you find, even if it seems minor. A small ceiling stain today can become a mold issue in two weeks if the underlying leak is not addressed.

Hour 8-24: Make the Calls

By now you have a clear picture of visible damage and a phone full of documentation. It is time to start the recovery process.

Call Your Insurance Company

Missouri homeowner’s insurance policies generally allow up to one year to file a hail damage claim, though the exact deadline varies by carrier. For a full breakdown of filing windows and what happens if you miss them, see our guide on how long you have to file a hail damage claim in Missouri. That said, filing sooner is always better. Every week you wait introduces potential complications.

• Secondary damage (leaks, mold, wood rot) can develop from unrepaired areas, and your insurer may argue that secondary damage is not covered because you did not mitigate promptly.
• Depreciation becomes harder to dispute the longer you wait. A roof inspected and claimed within two weeks of a storm is straightforward. A roof claimed six months later invites questions about wear and other causes.
• After major storms in Columbia or Jefferson City, adjusters get overloaded. Filing early gets you in the queue sooner.

When you call, have your policy number ready along with the date and approximate time of the storm. Mention any documentation you have already gathered. The Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance recommends contacting your insurer as soon as possible after storm damage and taking steps to contain further damage while you wait for the adjuster. For a deeper look at how the claims process works in Missouri, read our guide to roof insurance claims for Missouri homeowners.

Call a Local Roofing Contractor

A reputable local contractor will provide a free hail damage inspection. This inspection serves two purposes: it tells you the extent of the damage, and it gives you a professional assessment to compare against the insurance adjuster’s findings.

The key word here is local. After any significant hailstorm in Mid-Missouri, you will see trucks with out-of-state plates driving through neighborhoods within hours. These storm-chaser contractors are not all bad, but they follow the weather. They will be in your neighborhood this week and three states away next month.

A local contractor with a physical presence in the area has a reputation to protect. They will be here to honor warranties, answer follow-up questions, and handle any issues that arise after the job is done.

Two Things You Should NOT Do During This Phase

Do not sign a contract with the first person who knocks on your door. Legitimate contractors will never pressure you to sign before your adjuster has visited. If someone tells you that you need to sign today to “lock in your spot,” that is a pressure tactic, not a deadline. You have time.

Do not make permanent repairs before the adjuster visits. You should take reasonable steps to prevent further damage (tarping a hole, for example), but replacing shingles or patching siding before the adjuster documents the original damage can complicate or even void your claim. Keep receipts for any temporary repairs.

What NOT to Do After a Hailstorm

We have touched on some of these already, but they are worth collecting in one place. These are the most common mistakes Mid-Missouri homeowners make after hail.

Do Not Climb on Your Roof

This one shows up three times in this article because it is that important. A post-storm roof is wet, covered in granule debris that acts like sandpaper, and potentially weakened in places you cannot see. Emergency rooms across Missouri treat preventable fall injuries after every major storm. A professional inspection is free. A trip to the ER is not.

Do Not Sign with the First Contractor Who Knocks

Storm chasers often offer to “handle everything” with your insurance company. Some will ask you to sign an Assignment of Benefits (AOB), which gives them legal authority to negotiate and collect payment directly from your insurer. This removes your control over your own claim. Our guide on how to spot roofing scams after severe weather covers the most common tactics and what to watch for. Always work with a contractor who lets you stay involved in the process.

Do Not Throw Away Damaged Materials

Broken window screens, cracked siding panels, dented gutter sections, damaged patio furniture. Keep all of it until your adjuster has seen it in person. Physical evidence supports your claim. Once it is in the trash, it is gone.

Do Not Wait Weeks to Inspect

How long after hail should you inspect your roof? As soon as it is safe to do a ground-level check (within hours), and within the first week for a professional inspection. Waiting weeks or months allows minor damage to worsen. A small crack in a shingle lets water underneath, which leads to rotting decking, which leads to a much bigger repair bill.

Do Not Assume Small Hail Means No Damage

Hail the size of a nickel (7/8 inch) can damage asphalt shingles, especially if those shingles are older than 10 years. Wind-driven hail can cause damage at even smaller sizes. If your neighbors are filing claims, it is worth getting your own roof checked regardless of how small the hail looked.

Printable Hailstorm Checklist

Save this table to your phone or print it before the next storm. Mid-Missouri averages two to three significant hail events per year, mostly between April and August, according to NOAA Storm Prediction Center historical reports. Having a plan ready means you will not waste those first critical hours wondering what to do.

Timeline	Action Item	Done
Hour 0-1	Wait for storm to fully pass (check local radar)	[ ]
	Check for downed power lines or broken glass before going outside	[ ]
	Account for all family members and pets	[ ]
Hour 1-4	Inspect vehicles for dents (confirms hail severity)	[ ]
	Walk the perimeter: check siding, window screens, AC units	[ ]
	Check gutters for excessive granule buildup	[ ]
	Inspect deck, railings, and outdoor furniture	[ ]
Hour 4-8	Turn on phone date stamp and photograph all damage	[ ]
	Use a coin or ruler for scale in every close-up photo	[ ]
	Shoot a narrated video walkthrough of the exterior	[ ]
	Photograph remaining hailstones next to a ruler	[ ]
	Check attic for daylight, water stains, or wet insulation	[ ]
	Check ceilings and windows for new stains or water intrusion	[ ]
Hour 8-24	Call your insurance company (have policy number ready)	[ ]
	Call a local roofing contractor for a free inspection	[ ]
	Make temporary repairs only (tarp holes, cover broken windows)	[ ]
	Save all damaged materials for the adjuster	[ ]
	Do NOT sign contracts with door-knocker contractors	[ ]

Get a Free Hail Damage Inspection from CoMo Premium Exteriors

If you have been through a hailstorm in Columbia, Jefferson City, Boonville, Fulton, or anywhere in Mid-Missouri, we will come out and inspect your roof at no cost. We document what we find with photos and measurements, walk you through the results, and help you understand your options before you talk to your insurance company.

CoMo Premium Exteriors is locally owned and locally operated. We do not chase storms. We live here, we work here, and we stand behind every roof we repair or replace. If the inspection shows no damage, we will tell you that too.

Schedule your free hail damage inspection today.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long after a hailstorm should I have my roof inspected?

You should do a ground-level assessment within hours of the storm passing. Schedule a professional roof inspection within the first week. The sooner a trained inspector gets on your roof, the sooner you will know whether you need to file a claim. Waiting longer than a few weeks allows small problems to grow into expensive ones.

Will my insurance rates go up if I file a hail damage claim?

In Missouri, insurers generally cannot raise your premium solely because you filed a weather-related claim. Hail is considered an act of nature, not a result of negligence. That said, your rates are also influenced by regional claim frequency.

If your area has had several major hail events in recent years, your premium may adjust regardless of whether you personally filed. You should never avoid filing a legitimate claim because you are worried about rate increases.

What size hail causes roof damage?

Hail around 1 inch in diameter (about the size of a quarter) will damage most standard asphalt shingle roofs. However, wind-driven hail and older shingles change the equation. Hail as small as 3/4 inch can crack or bruise shingles that are past their 15-year mark. For a deeper look at how hail size affects your roof, read our guide on what size hail causes roof damage. If your neighbors report damage, get your own inspection even if the hail seemed small.

Should I get multiple roofing estimates after hail damage?

Getting two or three estimates is a smart practice. It gives you a baseline for fair pricing and helps you evaluate which contractor communicates clearly and thoroughly. Be cautious of estimates that are dramatically lower than others. A lowball bid often means the contractor is cutting corners on materials, skipping necessary repairs, or planning to negotiate a smaller scope with your adjuster.

Can I do temporary repairs before the insurance adjuster arrives?

Yes, and your policy likely requires it. Most Missouri homeowners policies include a “duty to mitigate” clause, which means you are expected to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage. Tarping a hole, covering a broken window with plywood, or placing a bucket under an active leak all qualify.

Keep every receipt for materials and take photos before and after the temporary repair. Do not make permanent repairs or replace materials until the adjuster has documented the original damage.

Published: March 19, 2026