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Severe weather in East Tennessee follows a pattern. According to the National Weather Service office in Morristown, tornadoes peak in April, large hail peaks in May, and damaging thunderstorm winds take over in June, with a smaller second round of hail and tornadoes in November. Storm damage isn't always visible from the driveway, and the days after a storm are when unfamiliar crews start knocking on doors. Here's how to spot damage safely, document it, and hire carefully.
The NWS climatology for the Morristown forecast area also found that severe storms are most frequent in the afternoon, with a peak around 4 p.m. for tornadoes, hail and wind alike. If a line of storms crossed your neighborhood on a spring or summer afternoon, look over your roof once the weather clears, even if nothing obvious broke.
How much hail hurts a roof depends on the size of the stones and how long they fell. Wind damage tends to show up along ridges, rakes and eaves, where gusts get under a shingle and break its seal strip. Falling limbs can cause both kinds of damage at once and may crack decking or rafters.
From the ground, look for missing shingles, shingles flipped back or creased across the middle, dented gutters and downspouts, and dings on mailboxes, roof vents or the tops of air-conditioning units. Fresh dents on soft metal are useful evidence that hail hit the property. Piles of granules at the downspout outlets after a storm are another sign.
Up close, a roofer looks for bruises where the shingle mat under the granules is fractured, for cracked or torn tabs, and for damage to vents and flashing. Many of these marks are hard to see without walking the roof, which is a job for a contractor with fall protection, not for a homeowner on a wet ladder.
Photograph and video the damage before anything is cleaned up; TDCI recommends this after every storm. If water is getting in, a tarp or temporary patch to prevent further damage is reasonable, and you should keep the receipts. Then report the claim to your insurer promptly, since many policies set deadlines for notice.
Tennessee's residential roofing law lets a roofer charge for emergency repairs that you acknowledge in writing as necessary to prevent damage to your home. The same law bars a roofer from misrepresenting that emergency repairs are needed, so get any emergency work described on paper before it starts.
TDCI's post-storm advice has been consistent for years: be wary of contractors who solicit roof repairs door to door or by phone, don't sign anything on the spot, and don't pay cash or pay in full before the work is done. If a contractor needs money for materials, the department suggests going along and paying the supplier directly.
Check the license before you agree to anything. Storm work in Knox County priced from $3,000 to $24,999 needs a state Home Improvement license, and anything at $25,000 or more needs a contractor's license. TDCI also suggests writing down the contractor's vehicle plate and driver's license numbers.
Ask each roofer to put the scope in writing with photos: which slopes are damaged, how many squares need replacing, and whether flashing, vents, gutters or decking are included. When an insurer is involved, compare the roofer's scope with the adjuster's estimate line by line so any differences can be raised before work begins.
A roofer who recommends replacement when the adjuster approved a repair isn't automatically wrong, but they should be able to show you why. If your insurer later tells you in writing that all or part of the claim isn't covered, Tennessee law gives you until midnight on the third business day after that notice to cancel the roofing contract.
Timing matters as well. After a widespread hailstorm, established local roofers can have long waiting lists, and that's when the pressure to sign quickly is highest. A tarp over a leaking section buys enough time to collect two or three written quotes instead of going with whoever knocked first.
The National Weather Service office in Morristown found that large hail in its forecast area peaks in May, a little later than the April peak for tornadoes, with a slight secondary bump in November. Most hail events happen in the afternoon. Hail can fall in other months too, so check your roof after any strong storm.
You can say no. TDCI specifically warns homeowners to be wary of contractors who go door to door offering roof repairs. If you do allow a look, don't sign anything that day, even a form described as a simple authorization, until you've read it fully, checked the license and gotten another opinion from a roofer you contacted yourself.
That's set by your policy, not by a single state deadline. TDCI notes that policies may require notice within a certain time, so check yours and report the damage as soon as you reasonably can. Give the insurer complete information and photos, since partial information can delay processing.
Often, yes. If the damage is confined to a section and matching shingles are available, a repair may be enough. A roofer should also check whether nearby shingles have lost their seal, since unsealed shingles are more likely to blow off in the next storm. Ask for photos that show the extent of the damage.
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