After the Storm: The Huntsville Roof Check, in Order

Work from the ground first. Walk the property line with a phone camera: shingles in the yard, debris, dented gutters and vents, and any tree contact, all photographed with the date on the record. From the street, use binoculars or a zoom photo for the slopes; a wet or debris covered roof is not a place for a homeowner in the first day after a storm.

Huntsville version of the check: clear the pine debris question first. Photograph shingles and limbs in the yard, check valleys where pine straw mats hold water against the roof, and note which storm cell produced the damage, because corridor storms arrive in lines and the claim is filed under the event. The same five local firms will be reading roofs across town this week; your dated record is what puts your roof in the right order.

Inside, the check is ceilings and the attic hatch: new stains, a drip line, damp insulation. Note which storm produced them, because leaks surface 12 to 72 hours after an event as trapped water moves, and the claim is filed under the storm date, not the discovery date.

Then decide in order: an open roof or active drip is a tarping call today. Damage you can only see as marks and yard shingles is an inspection this week. Either way, keep the photos and any fallen shingles until the assessment is done; they are evidence, not trash.