Roofing contractors assess damage after hail storm – KETV.com – KETV Omaha

OMAHA, Neb.

Thursday's hail storm left car windows bashed in and dents on hoods. The baseball-sized stones also did a number to roofs, and while that damage isn't as noticeable, it's not something to ignore.

Looking from the ground up, it can be difficult to tell which houses have roof damage. Todd Tevelde, project manager for Xcel Roofing, said if you look from the top of some roofs, it offers a revealing perspective of the damage the hail storm left behind.

Tevelde has been busy inspecting dozens of roofs since Friday morning.

"It's been crazy," Tevelde said. "There's a lot of houses that have holes in them, so the first people that called were people that want to make sure that the leaking gets stopped. We try to prioritize those first."

Tevelde said he's finding marks, dents and holes in shingles. Some damage isn't as apparent, but as hail hits a roof, it wears the shingles down.

"You can't see it from the ground, it's not like the shingles just fall off, but it makes a black mark basically and you can feel that it's bruised the matting," Tevelde said. "Now it has no more UV protection, so over a short period of time, that will turn into a hole and then you have water inside."

Tony Johnson owns a home in southwest Omaha and is now one of Xcel Roofing's customers after Thursday's storm.

"Our roof was damaged significantly, so we'll be getting a new roof pretty soon," Johnson said.

Now he's waiting on his insurance adjuster to come look at the damage before repairs are made. Before a person files a claim with their insurance company, Tevelde said they should call a contractor first. Johnson said his insurance company recommended that as well.

"You don't know if you even have damage. I mean, hail is a weird thing," Tevelde said.

Contractors are trying to keep up with all the homes that need to be inspected. Tevelde said Xcel Roofing's wait is around a week.

Johnson knows it may be awhile before his roof is fixed, but he has a positive perspective.

"It's a nuisance, but you know, comparing to what Bellevue went through a couple of weeks ago, I feel very fortunate," Johnson said. "It could have been a lot worse."

When it comes to picking a contractor, Tevelde said the most important thing is making sure they're local. He said many companies come into town after storms hit just to get work.

Tevelde said good companies will offer a free inspection and a five-year workmanship warranty.

He also recommended checking the Better Business Bureau, Angie's List and the Next Door app for reviews and ratings.

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Roofing contractors assess damage after hail storm - KETV.com - KETV Omaha