May 16, 2010. $1.6 billion in damage from a single hailstorm. The costliest hail event in Oklahoma history at the time. OKC and the surrounding metro lead the nation in hail damage frequency and severity. Our IICRC-certified crews respond to water damage from compromised roofs across the OKC metro.
Here's what to do — and what not to do — in the next 5 minutes. The window between the loss starting and significant structural damage is short.
Hail damage to OKC roofs produces water damage through specific mechanisms — and many of them aren't visible until weeks or months after the storm.
Hail strikes embed in asphalt shingles and dislodge the granule layer that protects the underlying asphalt from UV. Once the granule layer is compromised, UV degradation accelerates and the asphalt cracks, admitting water through what looks like an undamaged shingle from below.
Severe hail (2"+) punctures both the shingle and the underlying felt or synthetic underlayment. Water enters the attic and saturates insulation, ceiling drywall, and wall cavities below.
Hail damages the flashing around chimneys, skylights, and the rubber boots around plumbing vent penetrations. These small-area failures admit a lot of water during subsequent rainfall.
Plastic ridge vent caps shatter from hail impact. Ridge vents that look intact from the ground may have damage on the upper face that admits water directly into the attic.
Hail damages aluminum fins on outdoor AC units, reducing efficiency. While not water damage directly, damaged condensers often lead to overworked indoor air handlers that produce attic condensate leaks weeks later.
Our IICRC-certified OKC crew arrives with water extraction equipment, emergency tarp materials, structural drying gear, moisture meters, full PPE. In the first 60 minutes: interior water extraction, attic access for moisture mapping, photographic documentation of all wet materials, emergency tarp installation if active leaks are identified, structural drying positioning, coordination with your roofing contractor.
Over 24-48 hours: continued structural drying of saturated insulation, ceiling drywall, wall cavities; antimicrobial pre-treatment; daily moisture monitoring; coordination with adjuster on water-damage scope (typically separate from the roof claim scope).
We bill your insurance carrier directly so your out-of-pocket cost is typically just your deductible. We work with every major Oklahoma carrier including Shelter Insurance and Oklahoma Farm Bureau — and high-net-worth specialty carriers for custom-home losses.
Same-hour dispatch to all of these OKC-area cities. Our crews are local — we know the neighborhoods, the storm-shelter culture, the construction patterns, and the carriers.
Standard homeowners covers sudden and accidental damage from wind and hail including resulting water damage. Oklahoma carriers carry significant catastrophe reserves for hail. We bill carriers directly under State Farm, USAA, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, Farmers, Travelers, Progressive, Nationwide, Shelter, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, and high-net-worth specialty.
OKC roofers do free hail inspections that determine eligible damage. After any hail event of 1"+ hail size, get a professional inspection within 60-90 days. Many policies have hail-damage filing windows that expire.
If you can identify a hail event in your area within the past 12 months that produced hail of 1"+ severity, your insurance carrier typically accepts that as the documented event. NWS storm reports and insurance industry hail databases help establish this.
Variable. Some leaks appear during the next rainfall. Others develop over weeks as the compromised granule layer degrades. Many homeowners discover hail-caused water damage 6-18 months after the storm.
Roof replacement: 2-5 days once contractor schedules. Water damage restoration (parallel scope): 7-21 days mitigation plus 2-6 weeks reconstruction depending on interior damage extent.
Same-hour IICRC-certified crew dispatch. Direct insurance billing. Free on-site assessment.