When bad weather strikes you need to act quickly. A flashlight and a storm radio are two very important items to have on hand. If a tornado is approaching find a safe room in your basement with no windows. If you have your storm radio with you then you will know when the warnings have passed your area. Tornados, hurricanes, hail and damaging straight-line winds can destroy a house in seconds.

The National Weather Service issues warnings. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/

Only when a storm has safely passed can you go out to assess any damage. A tree that has fallen on your house is pretty easy to assess, but remember hail and straight-line winds can damage a homes structure and a professional contractor should be called to find out if you have any damage to your roof and siding. These guys know what to look for and are helpful when you need to file a claim and work with your insurance company.

Check out your siding, even a small corner that is no longer attached can open your home up to damage. Water can leak under your siding and cause damage you won’t even be able to see until it is too late.

Roof shingle will have dents, but they are very hard to see with the untrained eye. A shingle missing is again one of those easily identifiable items. It’s the hard to recognize storm damage, and left untouched can leave you open to additional repairs from a covered claim you should have filed when the storm hit.

Windows, garage doors and air conditioners can also be damaged by storms, especially by hail.

Dents on your home can be a strong indicator of damage and should be checked out by a professional contractor.

A contractor should offer a free inspection and let you know what damage your house had received if any.

-Contractors with no License number. Some States do not require Licenses, but if you state is one of them stay away from unlicensed contractors. Your local Department of Commerce should have some useful information regarding Licenses of Contractors. Check them out.

-They also should have Insurance.

-Car detailing. This sounds miniscule but if a contractor is legit why wouldn’t they drive a detailed car?

-Read the small print in the contracts. If something sounds weird, ask the contractor to explain what this means.

-Signing contracts on the spot when someone knocks on your door. This sales tactic can leave you open to hiring the contractor before you even have time to check them out.

-Do your research. Check your local government agencies for information, call your local Better Business Bureau and ask for referrals, or pictures of previous jobs.