After the Storm: What to Check on Your Roof and What to Do Next
High winds and heavy rain across Warwickshire can strip tiles, lift flashing and block gutters within a few hours. Here's what to look for once the weather's passed and how to get it sorted.
Updated 28 July 2026
What actually happens to a roof in a storm
Wind causes far more roof damage than rain on its own, because rain generally only becomes a problem once wind has already created a way in. Strong gusts get underneath the edge of tiles or slates and lift them, and if the nibs or fixings have already weakened with age, that's enough to pop them out of place completely. Ridge tiles are particularly vulnerable because they sit along the highest point of the roof and take the full force of the wind.
Flat roofs and felt roofs take a different kind of punishment, where high winds can peel back edges or lift whole sections if the covering isn't well bonded down. On a lot of the flat-roofed extensions we see around Solihull and Coventry, storm damage shows up first at the perimeter trim rather than in the middle of the roof, which is where wind pressure has the most leverage.
The safe way to check your roof after a storm
The first check should always be from the ground, and it can tell you a surprising amount. Walk round the property looking for tiles or slates in the garden, on the drive, or in neighbouring gardens, gaps or dark patches on the roof slope where tiles are missing, and anything obviously hanging loose such as guttering or flashing. Binoculars are genuinely useful here rather than trying to get a closer look by climbing anything.
Inside the house, check the loft space if you have access, looking for daylight coming through anywhere it shouldn't, damp patches on the underside of the roof felt or on rafters, and any water on the floor. None of this requires going up a ladder, and we'd say don't, especially straight after a storm when the roof surface may be wet, loose debris could still be moving, and visibility of hazards is worse than usual.
Making a roof safe versus fixing it properly
If a roof has a hole in it or tiles have come off entirely, the priority is to stop more water getting in, which usually means a temporary tarpaulin or sheeting fixed securely over the affected area. This isn't a repair, it's a stopgap to protect the inside of the house until proper materials and a full repair can be carried out, and it needs doing correctly or it can do more harm by trapping moisture or lifting in further wind.
We'll always aim to attend storm damage callouts as quickly as we can and get out where possible on the day, but we won't promise guaranteed same-day attendance, because during a widespread storm event genuinely every roofer in the area is dealing with multiple callouts at once and it wouldn't be honest to promise otherwise. What we will do is talk you through making the property safe in the meantime if we can't get there immediately.
Dealing with insurers after storm damage
Most home insurance policies cover storm damage, but the claims process generally wants evidence, so photographs of the damage, both from the ground and once we've had a proper look, make a real difference to how smoothly a claim goes through. We provide written reports and photos as standard on storm damage jobs specifically because they're needed for this.
It's worth checking your policy's definition of a storm, since insurers usually specify a minimum wind speed or particular weather conditions that need to have occurred, and claims are sometimes queried if that threshold wasn't officially met even though the damage is real. Keeping a note of the date and any local weather warnings that were in place helps support a claim.
Common storm damage we see across Warwickshire
Slipped and missing tiles are by far the most frequent call, usually on the more exposed elevations of a roof that face the prevailing south-westerly wind. Ridge tiles coming loose is close behind, particularly on older properties around Nuneaton and Rugby where the mortar bedding has had years to weaken before a storm finally shifts it.
We also see chimney flashing lifted or torn during high winds, guttering pulled away from fascias where it's caught extra debris and weight, and on flat roofs, edge trims and felt lifting at corners. None of these are usually visible from inside the house until they've caused a leak, which is why a ground-level check straight after a storm and a proper roof inspection soon after are both worth doing.
Preventing repeat damage
A roof that's taken storm damage once is often more vulnerable next time, particularly if the repair is only partial or if nearby tiles were loosened without actually coming off. Once we've repaired the immediate damage we'll also check the surrounding area, since a tile that's shifted slightly but stayed in place is often the next one to go in the following storm.
General roof maintenance, including checking ridge tiles, mortar and fixings periodically rather than only after damage occurs, is the best way to reduce how much a storm can do to your roof in the first place. It's a lot cheaper than repeated emergency callouts over a few winters.
The short version
- Wind lifting tiles and slates causes most storm damage, with rain making the resulting gaps worse.
- Check for damage from the ground and in the loft first; avoid climbing onto a roof after a storm.
- A tarpaulin or temporary sheeting stops further water ingress until a full repair can be done.
- We aim to attend storm callouts quickly where possible but cannot guarantee same-day attendance during widespread storms.
- Photograph damage for insurance purposes and check your policy's storm definition.
- Ridge tiles, chimney flashing and gutter fixings are the most common storm failure points across Warwickshire.