What hail and wind do to a roof you can't judge from the street
East Texas weather is crazy. Hail, wind and tornadoes can do minor or severe damage in a matter of minutes, and most of the time you can't see it from the ground. The storm that came through on April 18, 2026 hit Tyler, Whitehouse and Noonday with straight-line winds, heavy rain and marble to quarter size hail.
John Steele, our owner, inspected several homes afterward. What he found on those roofs: hail knocked granules loose and left impact marks, and the wind lifted and stressed those same spots. From the street it may not look severe, but up close it is enough to shorten the life of the roof.
What looks minor gets expensive. A small amount of water left alone brings mold, mildew, stains and rotten building materials, and a leak you don't notice right away is the worst kind.
How the Steele inspector works a storm roof
First, the immediate problem. If water is getting in, the crew deals with that, which can mean emergency roof tarping. Then, once the weather settles, an inspector walks the roof, circles each hit in chalk and photographs it, and you get a written report. If there is no damage, you get a roof condition report that says so.
You don't need three estimates, and you choose the contractor. Your project manager is up on the roof with the adjuster to point out every piece of claim-related damage. If a claim is denied, you can ask for a re-adjustment with the project manager there again. Steele Roofing works for you, not for your insurance company.
We usually work from the same estimating software and pricing as the insurer, so once the scope is authorized the work is done per insurance proceeds. If tear-off turns up more damage, a change order explains what changed and why. Generally your only out-of-pocket cost is the deductible, and no work starts without insurance approval.
What to do after the storm, and before the next one
From the ground, take photos and video of what you can see, then call your insurance company and a licensed roofer. Some carriers want to look at the damage before anything is moved or repaired, so photograph first and clean up later. Leave the climbing to the inspector: fallen limbs, loose boards and wet decking are not safe ground.
When the work is done the crew inspects the finished roof, cleans the site and hands over the warranty paperwork. Then keep watching. Have the roof looked at every spring or fall and after any hail, high wind or heavy thunderstorm.
The Steele Shield plan, $249 a year, covers twice-a-year inspections and minor repairs. It does not cover storm damage repairs, which is what the process above is for. Call (903) 630-5751 and we will walk the roof.
