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Stay inside or well away until the storm passes. Don’t go outside to inspect the tree until the weather clears, especially if the tree is on a hill or isolated in a field. Lightning often strikes the same easily-accessed places multiple times, and you could be a new target. If a lightning strike causes a noticeable fire, alert emergency services. When the storm is over, take a closer look to gauge the damage done.

Yes, most standard policies include storm damage repairs. Your policy may cover some or all of the repairs. The first thing to do after a storm is contact your home insurance agent. If you get any work done before the adjuster arrives, such as covering holes in your roof or windows, keep those receipts for reimbursement.

Hail damage to a roof looks different depending on the type of roof. On asphalt roofs, you’ll likely see dark circles on the impact sites of the larger pieces of hail, and you may see small cracks in the surrounding shingles. Hail damage is easiest to spot on a metal roof, as you’ll notice dings and dents where the hail was severe enough to cause damage. Whether you notice signs of hail damage or not, it’s best to have a hail damage repair company inspect your roof after a major storm to assess the damage.

After a big storm, you may not be sure if a tree was struck or not. Look for the telltale long scars, like strips or gouges in the bark of the tree, running in sometimes jagged lines down the length of the trunk. These scars will often show vulnerable living wood inside the tree. It’s also common to see scorched or wilted leaves on the side or top of the tree where lightning struck.