Hail Damage vs. Wind Damage: How to Tell the Difference on Your St. Louis Roof

A St. Louis roofing contractor's field guide to identifying hail, wind, and tornado damage — what each looks like, what insurance covers, and when to call.

Every storm season, our St. Louis crew gets the same call: 'We had a big storm last night. Is my roof OK?' The honest answer is that hail and wind leave very different fingerprints — and being able to tell them apart matters, because your insurance carrier treats them differently and the repair plan changes.

Here's what we look for from the ground, what we look for on the roof, and why guessing wrong can cost you a claim.

How to spot hail damage

Hail strikes a roof straight down. The damage signature is round, randomly distributed, and concentrated on horizontal-facing surfaces — the field of the roof, ridge caps, vent covers, gutters, gutter aprons, downspouts, and any metal flashing.

From the ground

Walk the yard first. Dented gutters and downspouts, dented air-conditioner fins, cracked window screens, dings on the mailbox, and dented metal grills are all corroborating evidence. Insurance adjusters look for these because the homeowner can't fake them after the fact.

On the roof

Up top, hail bruises an asphalt shingle in a circular pattern. The granules in the strike zone separate from the asphalt mat — you'll see a circle of darker color where the asphalt is exposed. Press a thumb on the spot: a fresh hail hit feels soft, almost spongy, because the fiberglass mat underneath has been fractured.

Hail size matters for the claim. Pea-sized hail rarely damages a 30-year shingle. Quarter-sized hail (1") starts to mark mid-grade shingles. Half-dollar (1.25") and golf-ball (1.75") routinely produce claim-worthy damage. Anything baseball-sized or larger will destroy a roof outright.

How to spot wind damage

Wind damage looks completely different. Wind doesn't strike — it lifts. The shingles bend up, the sealant strip breaks loose, and either the shingle creases (still attached, but compromised) or it blows off entirely.

Telltale signs

Look for missing tabs, especially on the windward side of the house (south and west in most St. Louis storms). Look for shingles that are out of alignment with their neighbors — a shingle that lifted and resettled creates a visible offset. Look at the ridge: ridge caps are usually the first to go because they're exposed on three sides.

Hidden wind damage is more common than people realize. A shingle can be lifted, broken, and resealed in place — looking fine from the ground but no longer waterproof. We find this by walking the roof and visually checking the seal line on each course.

Tornado vs. straight-line wind

Tornadoes leave directional debris patterns — trees and shingles end up scattered radially around the strike path. Straight-line wind events (derechos and microbursts, both common in the Missouri summer) push debris in a single direction. Insurance documentation differs, so if you suspect tornado damage, photograph the debris field before cleanup.

Why this matters for your insurance claim

Hail and wind are usually both covered perils, but the claim documentation is different. For hail, the adjuster wants test-square photos showing strike density. For wind, they want photos of missing or creased shingles and the path of failure.

Mixed-damage roofs — hail-bruised and wind-lifted in the same storm — are the most defensible claims when documented properly. We do this documentation as part of every storm inspection so the carrier has what they need on the first pass.

When to call us

If you saw quarter-sized or larger hail, if your neighbors are filing claims, or if you can see missing shingles from the ground — book a free inspection. We document everything, photograph what the carrier needs, and walk you through the claim filing decision. If we find nothing actionable, we tell you that too. No upsells, no scare tactics — just the facts of what your roof has and what it needs.