An Oklahoma thunderstorm can change your roof in a matter of minutes. Hail the size of ping-pong balls and straight-line winds over 70 miles per hour are regular visitors across Tulsa, Broken Arrow, and the rest of the state — and the damage they leave behind is often invisible from your driveway. Most storm damage can be caught early with a careful, safety-first inspection, and catching it early separates a clean insurance claim from a slow leak that rots your decking for months.

This guide covers what to check from the ground after an Oklahoma thunderstorm or hail event, what to look for on the roof, how to document damage for insurance, and when to call a professional. We're Proof Construction, a locally owned roofing contractor in Broken Arrow, OK (CIB #80004070), inspecting Oklahoma roofs after storms since 2014.

1. Safety First: Inspect From the Ground, Not the Roof

Before anything else: do not climb onto your roof after a storm. A wet roof is slick, hail-bruised shingles crumble underfoot, and Oklahoma winds gust long after the rain stops. Every year, more homeowners are injured falling off roofs than by the storm itself. Your first inspection takes place entirely from the ground.

  • Wait for the storm to fully pass. Watch for downed power lines — treat every downed line as energized.
  • Use binoculars. A good pair (or a camera with a zoom lens) lets you examine the roof surface, flashing, vents, and chimney from the safety of your yard.
  • Skip the ladder. If you can't see something from the ground, call a professional — leave ladder work to contractors with harnesses and insurance.
  • Keep children and pets inside while you walk the property, and watch your footing — hail can leave yards littered with branches and debris.

The roof surface itself is a job for a professional — the attic is the only part you should check from inside.

2. Walk the Perimeter: Yard, Gutters, and Downspouts

Start at the ground line and work around the house — the most reliable evidence of roof damage is often what the storm knocked off of it.

  • Shingle debris in the yard. Whole shingles, tab pieces, or piles of dark granules in the grass mean the roof is shedding material. Granules are the sand-like coating that protects shingles from the sun — when they come off in quantity, the shingle underneath is exposed and aging fast.
  • Granule buildup in gutters. A layer of sand-like granules washed into the gutters, or staining the ground at downspout splash areas, is a classic sign of hail impact.
  • Dented gutters and downspouts. Round, dimple-like dents in aluminum gutters — especially in a row where hail hit at the same angle — are some of the strongest physical evidence for an insurance adjuster.
  • Damage to other exterior surfaces. Dented AC condenser fins, dented mailboxes, and dinged vinyl siding all corroborate a hail event. If the storm dented your gutters, it almost certainly hit your roof with the same force.

Document everything you find on this walk — you'll need it for your claim.

3. Scan the Roof Surface With Binoculars

Work the roof systematically from every angle you can safely get. You're looking for five things:

Granule Loss and "Bruising"

Hail knocks granules loose and exposes the dark asphalt mat below. From the ground that shows as scattered dark spots or a "bruised" look — circular, slightly darker areas where hail struck. Concentrated granule loss on one slope is a strong hail signature.

Missing, Cracked, or Curled Shingles

High winds tear shingles loose, crack them at the nail line, or curl the corners. Look for gaps in the shingle pattern, lifted or displaced shingles, and bare spots where fasteners or decking show through.

Lifted Tabs and Nail Pops

Wind-driven shingles lift at the bottom edge — a condition that worsens with every storm. Nail pops appear where fasteners backed out of the deck. Both are water entry points even when no shingle is missing.

Damage to Flashing, Vents, Ridge Caps, and Chimney

Metal flashing around chimneys, skylights, and pipe boots takes both hail dents and wind lift. Look for bent flashing, dented ridge vents, cracked pipe boot collars, and chipped ridge cap shingles. A dented roof vent is one of the most common — and most overlooked — hail damage indicators.

Soft Spots and Blisters

Soft spots can't be assessed from the ground — even on the roof they take trained hands. Hail damage often shows as blister-like bruises where the fiberglass mat fractured on impact. If you see dark circular marks or suspect soft areas, that's a trigger for a professional inspection.

4. Check the Attic and Ceilings

After the exterior walk-around, go inside. Check every ceiling for water stains — fresh brown rings or damp patches — then visit the attic with a flashlight:

  • Look for daylight through the roof deck — that means holes you can't see from the ground.
  • Feel insulation for dampness and smell for mustiness — wet insulation breeds mold within days.
  • Check the decking underside for dark water trails running down rafters — they trace back to the leak entry point.

If you find an active leak, contain the water inside and call a roofer the same day.

5. When to Call a Professional

You don't need proof of damage to justify a professional inspection — just a reason to suspect it. Call a licensed roofer when any of these apply:

  • You saw any of the signs above — granule loss, missing shingles, dented gutters, flashing damage, or interior stains.
  • Your roof is more than 10 years old. Older shingles are more brittle and far more likely to suffer hail damage you can't see from the ground.
  • You can't tell. If you can't get a clear look at a slope, or the neighborhood got hammered and your roof looks fine, a pro can tell you in 30 minutes what you'd never spot.
  • You're filing an insurance claim. Your contractor should be present for the adjuster's inspection — that single visit can mean the difference between a covered replacement and an out-of-pocket repair.

After every major Oklahoma storm, out-of-state "storm chaser" crews knock on doors and pressure homeowners into signing contracts. Always verify a contractor's Oklahoma CIB license — ours is #80004070 — and confirm a local address before signing anything.

6. Document Everything for Your Insurance Claim

If you're filing a claim, your documentation starts now — before any cleanup or repair. Here's the discipline that pays:

  • Photograph everything, with dates: wide shots of each slope, close-ups of damaged shingles, granule piles, dented gutters, damaged flashing, interior stains. Phone cameras are sharp enough for adjusters — just keep the date in the metadata.
  • Don't clean up before the adjuster sees it. Leave dented gutters in place, don't sweep granules, and keep damaged shingles that blew into the yard — that physical evidence is worth thousands on a claim.
  • Keep every receipt for temporary repairs, tarps, and emergency work — most policies reimburse reasonable emergency mitigation costs.
  • Report the claim promptly. Oklahoma's statute of limitations on storm damage claims is two years, but carriers often apply shorter windows, and damage worsens while you wait. Our guide to the storm roof damage claim timeline in Oklahoma walks through each step so you don't miss a deadline.

Choose your contractor before the adjuster comes — a good roofer documents the damage with you and fights for the line items your policy owes you.

7. Temporary Tarp: When and How

A tarp is a stopgap, not a repair — but it can save your interior when the roof is compromised. Follow these rules:

  • Tarp only when there's an active leak or exposed decking. If water isn't coming in, leave the roof alone and let the adjuster see it untouched.
  • Never walk on the roof to tarp it yourself. If the tarp requires going up top, that's a job for a professional — emergency tarping is covered as mitigation on most policies.
  • Install it properly. A tarp that flaps causes more damage than the storm did: stretch it tight, secure edges into solid wood (never just weigh it down), overlap seams with water flow, and pitch it so water drains off instead of pooling.
  • Don't leave it on long. A tarp is temporary — days to a few weeks, not months. UV and wind shred cheap tarps, and a torn tarp becomes a water-collection system.

For the full post-storm sequence — from the moment the hail stops to signing with a contractor — see our guide on the 8 steps to protect your roof after hail damage.

Roof Inspection FAQ

Can I inspect my own roof after a storm?

Yes — from the ground. Walk the perimeter, check gutters for granules and dents, and scan the roof with binoculars for missing shingles and bare spots. Don't climb onto a wet or hail-damaged roof. If you see damage — or can't tell — schedule a professional inspection.

How do I know if hail damaged my roof?

Look for granule loss exposing dark asphalt in scattered spots, bruised or blister-like dents, missing or cracked shingles, dented gutters, and dings on vents or AC fins. Hail damage is often invisible from the ground, so a licensed contractor's inspection is the only reliable way to know.

Should I tarp my roof before the insurance adjuster visits?

Only if there's an active leak or exposed decking. A properly secured tarp protects the interior and is covered on most policies — keep the receipts. Photograph the damage before covering it, and never leave a tarp on longer than a few weeks. If tarping requires walking the roof, hire a professional.

Get a Free Post-Storm Roof Inspection

You shouldn't have to guess whether your roof survived the storm. Proof Construction offers free, no-pressure post-storm inspections across the Tulsa metro — we'll document the damage, meet your adjuster, and tell you straight whether your roof is fine, repairable, or needs replacement. We're locally owned at 1709 W Detroit St, Suite #A, Broken Arrow, OK 74012 (CIB #80004070), with a 3-year workmanship warranty on every roof we install.

Call us today at (918) 734-4444 or request your free inspection online. The sooner your roof is inspected, the better your chances of a full, accurate settlement — and the lower your risk of hidden damage becoming an expensive repair.