Your neighbor's truck slowed down this morning. He pointed at your roof, squinted, then drove off. You're standing in your driveway now wondering what the hell he saw that you didn't.
Probably wind damage. Maybe hail. Could be both. And yeah, it matters which one hit your Edmond roof—matters a lot, actually—because your insurance policy doesn't treat them the same way.
Wind Damage Hits One Side Harder
Wind doesn't scatter. It comes from one direction and hammers whatever's in its path.
You'll see missing shingles along the edges and ridges where wind gets underneath and peels them back. Shingles that stayed put might show creasing where they bent against their grain. Look for lifted tabs on whichever side faced the storm—those tabs curl upward but don't always tear off completely. They just sit there letting water underneath until you've got a leak three months later.
Wind tears off ridge caps first. They're more exposed than field shingles, so they go early. And if your neighbor's tree branch landed on your roof, that's wind damage even if the shingles underneath look fine. The impact cracks decking or loosens nails that won't fail until next spring.
Severe wind—70 mph and up, which is common during Oklahoma's thunderstorms—can strip entire sections down to bare wood. Older roofs go faster. Poorly installed ones go even faster than that.
The problem? Wind damage looks cosmetic from the ground. You see a few missing shingles and figure it's no big deal. But every missing shingle is a leak point, and it spreads.
Hail Leaves Round Dents Everywhere
Hail doesn't follow wind patterns. It just falls.
You'll see circular divots in shingles where hailstones hit hard enough to bruise the fiberglass mat underneath. On three-tab shingles, these hits knock off granules in round patterns. On architectural shingles, hail creates soft spots you can feel by pressing with your thumb. Oklahoma leads the nation in annual hail days according to NOAA research, with peak season running March through June. Hail one inch in diameter or larger typically causes insurance-claimable damage. Smaller hail might knock off some granules without compromising the shingle. Larger stones—golf ball size and up—crack shingles outright.
Check your metal roof vents. Check your gutters. Hail dents metal, and those dents photograph easier than subtle shingle bruising. If your gutters are dimpled like a golf ball, your shingles took hits too. AC units, downspouts, outdoor furniture—they all show hail damage more obviously than roofing materials, and adjusters use them as corroborating evidence.
Here's the thing most people miss: hail damage isn't always visible right after a storm. Bruised shingles might look fine until summer heat cycles expand and contract those weak points, causing granule loss weeks later. That's why Oklahoma law (Statutes §36-1250.5) gives homeowners up to 24 months to file claims for wind/hail damage when it's not immediately evident.
Your Policy Treats Them the Same—Mostly
Most Oklahoma policies lump wind and hail into one combined deductible. That deductible is percentage-based—usually 1-5% of your home's insured value, not a flat dollar amount.
On a $300,000 home with a 2% wind/hail deductible, you're paying $6,000 out of pocket whether it's a repair or replacement. Not $500. Not $1,000. Six grand. According to the Oklahoma Insurance Department, some policies include restrictions like cosmetic damage exceptions or higher deductibles specifically for hail.
Some carriers split them. They'll cover wind damage at replacement cost but limit hail claims to actual cash value, especially on older roofs. Read your policy's "Perils Insured Against" section. If it says "Windstorm or Hail" without further distinction, they're treated the same. If those perils are listed separately with different terms, your coverage splits.
Cosmetic damage exclusions hit hail claims harder. Insurance companies argue that dented metal vents or scattered granule loss doesn't compromise your roof's function, so they won't pay. Wind damage is harder to label cosmetic—missing shingles are missing shingles.
Deductibles apply per claim, not per storm. Same April thunderstorm drops hail and drives 80 mph winds across Moore? One claim, one deductible. Wind damage in March and hail in May? Two claims, two deductibles.
How to Document What Actually Happened
Call your insurance company. Be specific.
"We had a severe storm" tells them nothing. "We had marble-sized hail for ten minutes followed by sustained winds strong enough to knock down tree branches" gives the adjuster a clearer picture. Oklahoma law requires insurers to acknowledge your claim within 10 business days and accept or deny it within 45 days, so thorough documentation from the start matters.
Photograph everything before anyone walks on your roof. Hail hits show up best in early morning or late afternoon light when shadows make divots visible. Wind damage photographs better from multiple angles—capture lifted shingles from below and from the side to show how far they're peeling back.
Ground-level photos aren't enough. You can't see ridge damage, valley issues, or scattered hail bruising from your driveway. We offer free roof inspections across Edmond, Piedmont, Moore, Arcadia, and the OKC Metro. Professional documentation captures what your phone camera can't and provides the detailed evidence adjusters need.
Date your photos. Insurance companies track storm reports from the National Weather Service. If you file a claim three months after a documented hail event and claim the damage just happened, they'll question your timeline. Photograph damage within days of a confirmed severe weather event, and your claim gets stronger.
The Deductible Law You Need to Know About
Oklahoma law—HB 1940, effective November 2022—makes it illegal for roofing contractors to pay, waive, absorb, or rebate any part of your deductible. You pay your own deductible, typically when work begins after insurance approval.
Any contractor offering to "take care of your deductible" or "work with you on the deductible" is violating state law. They're also putting both of you at legal risk.
We're required to provide written notification of HB 1940 with every estimate. This protects you from contractors who use deductible schemes to lowball estimates, then cut corners on materials or labor to make up the difference. Your deductible is a legal obligation. Paying it ensures you get the full scope of work your insurance approved.
When the Same Storm Delivers Both
Oklahoma storms don't pick one peril and stick with it.
That supercell moving across Canadian County drops hail on Piedmont, then shifts to straight-line winds as it hits Arcadia. Your roof takes both in the same evening. Wind and hail damage compound each other. Hail bruises shingles, weakening their attachment to the deck. Then wind gets underneath those compromised shingles and tears them off. Or wind lifts tabs first, and hail drives straight through the exposed underlayment.
Combined damage is usually worse than the sum of its parts.
Insurance adjusters look for both signatures during their inspection. They'll note missing shingles and lifted tabs, then check remaining shingles for impact marks and granule loss. The presence of both damage types strengthens your claim because it shows the storm was severe enough to hit from multiple angles.
Most Oklahoma roof claims involve both wind and hail to some degree. Our team handles the entire claims process—initial inspection through working with your adjuster. We document every detail, handle the paperwork, attend adjuster meetings, and file supplements when additional damage shows up during tearoff.
Knowing the difference between wind and hail damage helps you speak your adjuster's language and recognize when your roof needs professional assessment rather than a quick patch. Oklahoma weather throws everything at your roof. Knowing what to look for after each storm keeps small problems from becoming expensive disasters.