After the Storm: Wind & Monsoon Roof Damage — What to Do Next
After a storm, check your roof from the ground, protect the inside of the house if water is coming in, and call a roofer. Do not climb up yourself. Text photos to (725) 502-3114 and we can help sort out what needs to happen first.
Las Vegas wind and monsoon storms can lift tiles, tear shingles and start leaks in minutes. Knowing what to do afterward protects your home.
Check from the ground, safely
Walk around the house and look up. You are looking for slipped or missing tiles, displaced shingles, and debris on the roof. Look at the ground too. Pieces of tile or shingle in the yard tell you something came off.
Inside, check ceilings and the areas around skylights for new stains. Check closets and the garage, where a small stain is easy to miss.
Do not climb up yourself. Desert roofs are hot, steep and slick with grit, and after a storm they can be wet and loose with debris.
What storm damage looks like
Wind lifts tiles and slips them out of place. It can crack tiles, tear shingles and work at flashing edges until they pull loose. Debris can hit the roof and break tiles. Heavy rain finds any weak point.
Hillside and elevated areas catch more wind than the valley floor, so these roofs often show damage first. Our Henderson page has more on that.
Protect the interior
If water is actively coming in, contain it. Put a bucket under the drip and move furniture, rugs and valuables out of the way. Take photos of the stain and the wet area with the date.
Then call a roofer promptly. We can often tarp and protect a damaged area fast, then complete the permanent repair on a schedule. For a step-by-step list, see what to do in the first hour of a roof leak.
Why a quick tarp is not the end
A tarp keeps more water out while you wait. It is a temporary step. The permanent repair is what stops the leak, and it needs the real cause found and fixed. See how we do that in how we find a roof leak.
Get it repaired and matched
Storm damage repair means replacing slipped or broken tiles, re-securing edges and fixing any flashing the wind worked loose. We match your tile so the repair blends in. Text photos to 725-502-3114 for fast triage, and your leak repair is warrantied 5 years.
If the storm exposed older problems, like worn underlayment, we tell you what we see and what your options are. See our residential roof repair page for what we repair.
What to tell the roofer
Tell us when the storm hit, where you saw water, and whether the stain has grown since. Tell us if the leak appeared only during the wind or has continued after the rain stopped. Those details help us work out where the water got in.
If you have photos from before the storm, such as a picture of the roofline, they can help show what changed.
Why damage can be hidden
A roof can lose a tile or lift a flashing edge and show nothing inside the house for days or weeks. Water that gets in slowly can soak insulation and framing before it ever stains a ceiling. That is one reason it is worth having the roof looked at after a hard storm, even if the house looks dry.
Before the next storm
Worn pipe boots, cracked tiles and tired flashing are all easier to fix on a dry day than in the middle of a storm. Our article on pipe boots shows one of the most common weak points to check.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I get on the roof to look for damage?
No. Check from the ground and from inside. Desert roofs are hot, steep and slick with grit.
Can you do anything if it is still raining?
We can often tarp and protect a damaged area fast, then complete the permanent repair on a schedule.
Can you match my tile?
In most cases, yes. We match or closely blend replacement tile, and we can assess matching at the inspection.
What photos should I send?
Photos of the ceiling stain, of any missing or slipped tiles from the ground, and of tile or shingle pieces in the yard.
Who do I call?
Text photos or call (725) 502-3114.