Do this first
What to do right now
- Wait until the weather has fully passed, then walk the property from the ground and look for shingle debris, displaced vents and bent gutters.
- Photograph everything from the ground, including the debris in the yard and any damage to neighbouring properties.
- Check every ceiling and the attic with a torch for wet insulation, daylight through the deck or fresh stains.
- Do not climb on the roof. Have a licensed roofer inspect it and photograph what they find.
- Report the loss to your insurance carrier and ask them what their timeframe is.
- Verify any contractor on myfloridalicense.com before signing a contract or an assignment of benefits.
What storm damage actually looks like in Ocala
Homeowners look for missing shingles. Adjusters and roofers look for creases. When wind gets under a shingle it bends it backwards and it settles back down looking almost normal from the driveway, but the seal strip is broken and the mat is fractured. That shingle will leak, and it is genuine wind damage: it just is not visible from the ground.
The other common findings after a Northeast Florida storm are lifted or missing ridge cap, torn or displaced drip edge, dislodged turbine and box vents, granule loss piled in the gutters, and damage where a limb brushed across the slope. Fence and screen-enclosure damage in the same yard is useful supporting evidence that the wind was strong enough to do roof damage too.
Hurricane deductibles are separate
This catches Florida homeowners out constantly. Most policies here carry a separate hurricane deductible, usually calculated as a percentage of the dwelling coverage rather than as the flat dollar amount you pay for an ordinary claim. It also has its own trigger conditions. Read your declarations page, and if the wording is not clear, call your carrier and ask them to explain which deductible applies to your loss. We are not insurance advisers and cannot answer that for you.
Be careful who knocks
Storm-chasing crews arrive in Florida neighbourhoods within days of a named system. Some are legitimate. Many are not licensed here, will not be here next year, and are asking you to sign paperwork you have not read. Verify the licence at myfloridalicense.com, get a written scope of work before you sign anything, never pay a large deposit in cash, and be extremely careful with any document that assigns your insurance benefits to a contractor.
