The storms that rolled through central Indiana on June 17 and 18, 2026 were some of the most destructive in recent memory. The state declared a disaster emergency for 63 counties. Crews reported tornadoes, wind gusts over 60 miles per hour, and hail across the region. Some homeowners near Indianapolis watched sections of roof get torn off in real time, and an EF-1 tornado caused roof damage right here on the south side near Beech Grove.
If you live in the Indianapolis area, your roof may have taken a hit even if everything looks fine from the driveway. That is the part most people get wrong about storm damage. Here is what you actually need to know and do.
Why your roof can be damaged even when it looks fine
The most dangerous storm damage is the kind you cannot see from the ground. Hail and wind rarely leave an obvious hole. What they do instead is knock the protective granules off your shingles, bruise the mat underneath, crack seals, and lift edges just enough to let water find its way in weeks or months later. By the time a stain shows up on your ceiling, the damage has usually been working on your home for a while.
This is why so many Indianapolis homeowners do not realize their roof was compromised until the next heavy rain finds the opening the storm already created.
How to check for roof damage after a storm
You can do a safe, ground-level check yourself before calling anyone. You are not looking to climb up and inspect shingles yourself. You are looking for the clues a damaging storm leaves behind at eye level.
Walk your property and look for these signs:
Dents or dings on your gutters, downspouts, and metal flashing. Soft metal takes hail marks easily, and if hail was hard enough to dent your gutters, it almost certainly struck your shingles too.
Impact marks on your air conditioning unit, mailbox, grill, or any other metal surface in the yard. Hail hits everything at the same angle, so these are a reliable stand-in for what happened on the roof.
Shingle granules collecting in your gutters or at the bottom of downspouts. Granules look like coarse black sand. A lot of them after a storm means your shingle surface took a beating.
Missing, curled, cracked, or lifted shingles visible from the ground. A pair of binoculars helps here.
Any new water staining on your ceilings or in your attic within a day or two of the storm.
If you see any of these, it is worth getting a professional set of eyes on the roof before the next round of weather arrives.
What to do first if you have visible damage or a leak
If a storm created an obvious opening, like missing shingles or an active leak, your insurance policy most likely requires you to prevent further damage while you wait for repairs. That usually means an emergency tarp over the exposed area.
Take photos before you touch anything. Document the damage exactly as the storm left it, then cover the opening to stop water from getting in. Tarping receipts are often reimbursable through your claim.
Do not let water sit. The difference between a repair and a full replacement is often just how quickly the opening got covered.
Handling your insurance claim the right way
Storm damage to your roof is typically covered under an Indiana homeowners policy, but how you handle the process matters more than most people realize. A few things worth knowing:
Document everything with photos and video before any repair work begins. Note the date of the storm, which was June 17 to 18 for this event, since insurers want a clear timeline. Report the damage promptly rather than waiting months, because late reporting gives an insurer room to argue the damage happened later or got worse because you did not act.
It also helps to get a professional inspection and written assessment before you file. A licensed roofer can document the type and extent of the damage clearly, which becomes important evidence if your carrier disputes the claim or tries to call functional damage cosmetic.
One caution. Be careful with anyone who shows up promising a free roof in exchange for signing paperwork on the spot. Read anything before you sign it, especially assignment of benefits forms and contingency agreements. If a document is confusing, it is completely reasonable to take a day and ask questions first.
Why a professional inspection is worth it
An experienced roofer knows the difference between damage that will genuinely shorten your roof's life and marks that are only cosmetic. That matters, because filing a claim for the wrong thing wastes your time, and missing real damage costs you far more down the road. A written inspection report protects you either way.
At 317 Restoration, storm damage inspections are one of the most common calls we get after a major weather event, and this June was no exception. We are a locally owned company based on the south side of Indianapolis, we run our own crews, and we know exactly what these Indiana storms do to a roof because we are out repairing them.
If your home is in Indianapolis or anywhere across central Indiana and you want someone to take an honest look after the storms, schedule a free inspection or call us at (317) 970-4687. We would rather tell you your roof is fine than have you find out it is not during the next storm.
