What to Do After Storm Damage to Your Roof
The right order of steps after a storm — what to check first and what to leave to a professional.
Cape Town's winter storms are hard on older roofs, and the damage isn't always obvious from the ground.
If you can see daylight through the roof, water actively coming through the ceiling, or debris that's clearly punctured the roof sheeting, treat it as urgent — a tarp or temporary cover to stop further water ingress matters more in the first 24 hours than a permanent fix.
Avoid getting onto the roof yourself after a storm, especially on wet tile or sheeting — most storm-related injuries happen during the inspection, not the repair. A proper assessment from the ground or from inside the roof space (checking for daylight, water marks, or dislodged tiles) is safer and still useful.
Photograph any visible damage before anything is repaired or cleared away — this matters for insurance claims, and most insurers want dated photos showing the damage as it was found.
Once the area is safe, get a contractor to inspect the full roof structure, not just the obviously damaged section — wind damage often loosens tiles or sheeting nearby that hasn't failed yet but will in the next storm.
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