SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) — Saturday’s severe thunderstorms ripped through the Ozarks with numerous reports of hail ranging from quarter-size to baseball bats.
Even with calmer weather earlier in the week, roofing contractors in the Ozarks were busy taking calls from homeowners. Colt Pruente, an appraiser for Absolute Roofing, says the company has been taking calls since Sunday.
“We tried to get a few people into the office on Sunday,” says Pruente. “I came to work on Sunday and looked at 39 roofs that day alone. The two of us were able to look at a total of 60 roofs on Sunday.”
All of those calls came from hail damage from Saturday’s storms. While the company took a number of calls from Bolivar and areas north of Springfield, where the largest hail fell, parts of the republic were primarily concerned with hail ranging in size from a quarter to golf balls. Preunte says that while these sizes are smaller, they’re nothing to fool around with.
“We’ve seen hail of all shapes and sizes,” Preunte said. “Some were so large, golf ball sized, that even new roofs show signs of damage. New roofs often withstand hail damage of all kinds very well. Even the small hail made dents on metal and broke through some sidings which we saw based on the speed it came down. Nickel-sized hail is when we really notice the damage. When you get to golf balls like we’ve had, it’s kind of a no-holds-barred situation.”
In light of the hail debris from the Ozarks saw, roofing contractors have seen the damage to clapboards, roof boxes and all the sloping gutters and siding on homes in the area. It’s damage like this that Preunte encourages homeowners not to ignore or inspect for themselves.
“Many of the golf-ball-sized hailstones that we’ve seen will actually leave an indentation in the shingle,” says Preunte. “If you don’t do anything about it, over time, as more wind and rain comes, it will eventually cause it to become a hole. Then you will start to see leaks appear in the roof and potentially lead to bigger problems.”
In regards to what homeowners should do once they’ve dealt with hail and possible damage, Pruente recommends contacting your insurance company. An appraiser will come to assess the damage and determine how much the company will pay for either roof repairs or a new roof. Finally, those involved agree on measures and the assumption of costs, and work can begin. When it comes to roof replacements or new shingles, Pruente says the technology has come a long way.
“There are now shingles on sale that are called impact shingles,” says Pruente. “There are grades 3 and 4 shingles. These hold up better to hail and are a bit thicker on the mat of the shingle. Insurance companies often give you a discount on homeowners insurance premiums if you have these shingles on your roof. It’s definitely something to consider now.”
Another key piece of advice for homeowners is to research potential roofing contractors, not wait. All homeowners from companies doing business with should be properly insured, accredited and well vetted by others in the area. And again, don’t wait. The sooner homeowners can get a free inspection from a roofing contractor or insurance adjuster, the sooner they can begin repairing or replacing their roof.
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https://www.ky3.com/2023/04/18/roofing-companies-field-hail-damage-calls-across-ozarks/
