On Sunday afternoon, July 12, a severe thunderstorm crossed Union County between roughly 4 and 6pm. The National Weather Service placed the county under a severe thunderstorm warning, with warned wind gusts of 60 mph and quarter-size hail as the storm moved through the Waxhaw, Marvin, Weddington, and Wesley Chapel area.
If your neighborhood caught this storm, here is what that means for your roof, what you can check safely from the ground, and why this week is the right time to get it documented.
What 60 mph wind and quarter-size hail do to a roof
Quarter-size hail is right at the threshold where asphalt shingle damage starts. It does not punch visible holes. Instead it bruises shingles, crushing the granule surface and fracturing the mat underneath. From the ground the roof looks fine. Months later, those bruised spots shed granules, crack, and let water through.
Wind at 60 mph works differently. It lifts and creases shingle tabs, especially along rake edges, ridges, and anywhere shingles were already aging. A lifted shingle may lie back down and look normal, but the seal underneath is broken, and the next storm peels it further.
Soft metal tells the story first. Hail that bruises shingles also dents vent caps, flashing, and gutters, which is why adjusters and inspectors look there. The photo above is exactly that: hail strikes on a metal vent cap from a roof we documented.
What you can safely check from the ground
No ladder needed. Walk your property and look for:
- Shingle pieces or tabs in the yard
- Piles of granules at downspout splash areas, they look like coarse black sand
- Dents in gutters, downspouts, or metal vent caps you can see from the ground
- Damaged window screens, dented mailboxes, or stripped plants, all signs hail was big enough to matter
- After the next hard rain, any new ceiling stains
Two or more of those and your roof deserves a real inspection. And even if you see nothing, hail bruising is frequently invisible from the ground, which is why a free professional look after a warned storm is worth the fifteen minutes.
Why documenting damage this week matters
Insurance claims for storm damage live and die on documentation. Fresh damage photographed soon after a dated, NWS-warned storm event is clean and easy to connect. Damage discovered a year later, after more weather has passed over it, is much harder to attribute.
North Carolina homeowners also generally have a limited window to file storm claims, so waiting costs options. We are not insurance advisors and we do not interpret policies, but we do this every week: we walk the roof, photograph everything the way adjusters expect to see it, and give you a straight answer about whether what we found looks like storm damage worth a claim conversation, or normal wear that does not justify one.
If your roof is fine, we tell you that, and you get peace of mind and a photo record of your roof's current condition for free.
We are already in Union County
Top Flight Contracting is family-owned and Charlotte-based, and we are already working with homeowners in Waxhaw, Wesley Chapel, Stallings, and across Union County on inspections, estimates, and approved insurance claims. We know what this month's storms have been doing to roofs in these neighborhoods because we are on them.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my roof has hail damage if I cannot see anything wrong?
You usually cannot see hail damage from the ground. Bruised shingles look normal from below. The reliable ground-level clues are dented soft metal, granules at downspouts, and debris in the yard. The only way to know for sure is a roof-level inspection, which we do for free.
Does insurance cover hail and wind damage in North Carolina?
Storm damage from wind and hail is the kind of sudden event homeowners insurance is designed for, unlike gradual wear. Whether a specific roof qualifies depends on what the inspection finds and your policy. We document what we find and you decide, with your insurer, how to proceed. We can also be present when the adjuster inspects.
How soon after a storm should I get an inspection?
Sooner is better. Fresh damage tied to a dated storm event is the cleanest to document, and claim windows are limited. Within a few weeks of the storm is ideal.
What if the inspection finds nothing?
Then you have a free professional confirmation your roof came through fine, plus photos of its current condition, which are useful as a baseline if a future storm hits. About the worst outcome of a free inspection is good news.
Get on this week's schedule
If Sunday's storm crossed your neighborhood, get your roof looked at while the event is fresh. Free inspection, honest answer, no pressure.
Call Top Flight Contracting at 704-269-8522 or request your free storm inspection today.