Wind, falling limbs and heavy rain on roofs near Clark
Storm Damage Repair in Clark, NJ
Wires first, roof second. After a storm in Clark, NJ, shingles may sit on the lawn, a limb may rest on the ridge, or a gutter may hang by one bracket.
If the yard is safe, call (732) 574-5073 with photos taken from the ground and the street address.
The order that keeps people safe
Wires first: look up before you look at the roof.
Photos next: the lawn, every side of the roof, and whichever limb fell.
Stay on the ground and let binoculars do the climbing.
Keep every receipt for a tarp, a board or a cleanup.
Then phone about the roof.
On a visit
Call (732) 574-5073, tell what the storm did, send ground-level photos, and ask the contractor's schedule for a visit.
A walk around the house for fallen limbs, loose shingles, bent metal and damaged gutters.
The roof surface, checked for lifted, cracked or missing shingles and for exposed boards.
The attic side: the underside of the boards and the insulation, where wind-driven rain leaves stains.
A temporary cover, if needed, to keep water out until the repair; the state insurance department advises temporary repairs that protect property from further loss.
Photos and written notes that help an insurance claim, and the repair options after that.
Leave the room first if
- A wire down, or draped over a limb, can still carry current. Stay at least 30 feet off, keep neighbors back, and phone the utility on 1-800-436-7734 or dial 911.
- Dripping near a light fixture: walk out, then phone 911 from a dry place.
- A heavy limb or a whole tree leans on the house: empty the rooms below it and dial 911.
- Branches litter a wet roof: do not climb up. Dial 911 if someone has fallen.
Short answers
- How loud is storm damage, 1 to 10?
- Loud, 8 to 10: a wire down, a bulging ceiling or a limb leaning on the house. Get everyone clear, then phone 911 or PSE&G. Middling, 4 to 7: missing shingles or a stain that spreads. Dial (732) 574-5073 soon. Quiet, 1 to 3: a few shingles on the grass and a dry attic. Photograph and watch.
- How do you check a roof after a storm?
- Start low, says the shingle makers' trade group: binoculars, from the lawn or an upstairs window. Next it suggests clearing debris from gutters and roof surfaces and examining the roof deck's underside from the attic, and it names flashings as the weak points.
- What does New Jersey's insurance department say to do?
- It lists temporary repairs to prevent further loss, saving every receipt, working with the claim adjuster and keeping notes on conversations. It adds that the company may suggest a contractor but you are not required to use that one.
- Does this cover Cranford and Linden too?
- Yes. See Cranford roofing notes and Linden roofing notes for local water and housing facts. Tenants send the owner a dated photo first.
When the damage points elsewhere
Torn or sagging gutters belong on the gutter page. A stain near a chimney after wind-driven rain may be a flashing problem. If many shingles went at once, the comparison to read is roof replacement.
Signs to look for
- Shingles or scraps of flashing on the lawn
- A limb resting on the roof, or scrapes where one landed
- Gutters bent, pulled loose or full of storm debris
- A new stain on an upstairs ceiling after wind-driven rain
- Lifted tabs along the ridge or the edges that look raised from the street
From the last gust to the finished repair
The first hours belong to safety: wires, fallen limbs, and any room under a wet ceiling.
Next comes the record. Photos from the ground, a list of what you see, receipts for anything bought to stop the water.
An adjuster is sent to inspect the damage, per the state insurance department. Talk with your roofer about what the adjuster needs.
Repairs follow once the roofer has seen the surface and the attic side.
A lawn after the wind
The photo shows limbs on a lawn and a house roof behind them with a few shingles missing.
Notice where the debris landed. Pieces on the ground tell a roofer which side took the wind, and a limb mark on the shingles shows where to look first.
Storm repairs and the paper trail
After a storm the state's ordinary maintenance list still applies: repairing existing roof covering on a freestanding home for one or two families needs no permit application. Keep the contractor's written description with your claim papers. More on the contractor checks page.
Ask about a visit
Keep the address, a rough roof age and a few ground-level photos nearby, then call (732) 574-5073. Tenants hand the owner a dated photo first. Towns: Clark, Cranford and Linden.