Shingles blown off after a storm: what to do, and will insurance pay?

Check from the ground. Leave the roof to a roofer.

The answer in 2 lines. Stay off the roof, and keep people away from anything that could still fall. Check from the ground with your phone's zoom, look for water inside, and photograph everything. Have a roofer tarp the damaged area as soon as it's safe, keep the receipt, and report the damage to your homeowners insurer as soon as you can. Most homeowners policies cover sudden wind damage, but many homes in storm-prone states have a separate wind, hail or hurricane deductible, often a percentage of the home's insured value.

The first 3 steps

Keep people, children and pets away from the roof edge and anything hanging loose. Move the car only once the wind has died down and nothing threatens to fall.
From the ground, with your phone's zoom: missing or lifted shingles, bare spots, bent flashing, a damaged ridge. Inside, check ceilings and the attic (only if it has a fixed stairway and a solid floor) for water.
Photograph and film the roof, the shingles on the ground and any damage inside, with the date. Keep the pieces until your insurer has seen them or the photos.

Stop: danger

Never climb onto the roof, during the wind or right after: loose shingles and wet surfaces slide underfoot, and falls from roofs and ladders cause serious injuries.
Downed power line near the house or the yard: stay far away, assume it's live, and call 911 and your electric utility (the National Weather Service gives the same advice: NWS: after a high wind event).
Water coming in near an outlet or light fixture: turn off that circuit at the panel only if the panel is dry and you can reach it without stepping in water. Otherwise stay out and call 911.
A tree or large branch on the roof, or a sagging ceiling: get everyone out of that part of the house and call 911 if it looks unstable.

What you can do yourself, and where to stop

Pick up shingles and debris from the ground, with gloves, once the wind has calmed and nothing else can fall.
Inside: buckets, towels and plastic sheeting over furniture if water comes in (see our guide on roof leaks during a storm).
Stop there: putting back "just one" shingle or tarping a roof is work at height for a roofer. Your policy usually expects you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, and a professional tarp counts: keep the invoice.

Possible causes

A strong wind gust: shingles lift first at the edges, the corners and the ridge.
Old shingles: brittle, curled or with failed sealant strips, they let go in lower winds. Insurers may treat this as wear and tear.
A falling branch or flying debris.
Hail: bruised or cracked shingles, granules in the gutters.

Who pays, and who to tell

Homeowners: standard policies usually cover sudden damage from wind or hail, and rain that gets in through that damage. They usually exclude wear and tear and flooding from rising water. Report the claim as soon as you can: your policy sets the deadline, so read it.
Wind, hail or hurricane deductible: in many coastal and storm-prone states, policies have a separate deductible for these perils, often a percentage of the dwelling's insured value (for example 1% to 5%) rather than a flat dollar amount. On a home insured for $300,000, a 2% deductible means you pay the first $6,000. Your declarations page shows which deductible applies; NAIC explains how named storm and hurricane deductibles work. Rules on when they apply are set state by state.
Renters: tell your landlord in writing right away. The roof is the landlord's job; your belongings are covered only by renters insurance.
Condo or HOA: tell the HOA or the building manager; the roof is usually a shared element covered by the association's policy.
Problem with your claim: contact your state insurance department, which handles consumer complaints. Find yours on the NAIC map of state insurance departments.

What not to do

Signing an "assignment of benefits" with a contractor who knocks on your door after the storm: you may sign away your rights to the insurance payout and your control over the claim.
Paying in full up front, or in cash, to a door-to-door roofer. The FTC warns about storm-chaser scams (FTC: weather emergencies and scams).
Throwing away damaged shingles or items before your insurer has seen them or the photos.

Choosing a roofer

Check the contractor's license with your state or city licensing board (many states license roofers or general contractors; some don't). The national association of state licensing agencies links to each state's board: NASCLA consumer reference library. Choose a roofer who shows you an active license where one is required, proof of liability insurance, and a local address.
Get at least two written, itemized estimates for the permanent repair. The emergency tarp can come first.
Never pay everything before the work is done, and don't let a contractor negotiate your claim unless they're a licensed public adjuster in your state.

Good to know

After a big storm, have the roof checked by a roofer even if you see nothing from the ground: lifted shingles can leak later.
Trim branches that hang over the roof.
Before storm season, read your declarations page: know your deductible before you need it.

After a night of high winds in Oklahoma City, Dan sees a dozen shingles in the yard and a bare patch near the ridge. Once the wind drops, he keeps the kids away from that side of the house and takes photos from the ground. A licensed roofer tarps the roof the next morning. Dan files a claim the same day with the photos and the tarp invoice, and checks his policy: it has a 1% wind and hail deductible.

A made-up story, for illustration.

The numbers (latest published)

Wind and hail are among the leading causes of homeowners insurance losses, according to the Insurance Information Institute's latest published figures (Triple-I: facts and statistics, homeowners and renters insurance). LexisNexis Risk Solutions' 2025 Home Trends Report reported that catastrophe claim severity hit a seven-year high (LexisNexis, October 2025); a newer edition came out in July 2026 (LexisNexis, July 2026). Full-year figures for 2026 itself aren't published yet.
Wind and hurricane deductibles: there's no single national figure; percentages and triggers are set by each policy within each state's rules.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on November 1, 2026, for the United States. Confidence: high for safety advice (National Weather Service) and the general rules of homeowners insurance (NAIC); medium for deductibles and claim deadlines, which depend on your policy and your state: only your insurer can confirm what your policy covers. This guide describes common cases, not legal advice.