Eight ground-level checks produce a severity band and the NCDOI documentation steps – no ladder required.
After a Charlotte storm, run this checklist from the ground – no ladder needed. Eight yes-or-no observations produce a severity band and, if damage is likely, the documentation steps the NC Department of Insurance recommends before any repairs. Mecklenburg County’s reported hail all falls between April and July, so this page earns its keep a few times each spring and summer.
Shingle pieces in the yard, granule piles at downspouts, dents in soft metal, lifted shingles, marked siding, debris on the roof, new interior stains, and active dripping – all eight read from the ground, and any interior sign outranks the rest. The full checklist follows.
Zero yes answers means no ground-level indicators, one or two means a professional look is worthwhile, three to five means likely damage worth documenting now, and six or more – or any interior water – is serious. The table below is the exact banding the checklist uses.
| Yes answers | Band | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No indicators | No storm-damage signs from the ground; note the date and move on |
| 1 to 2 | Possible damage | Signs worth a professional look, especially exterior-only ones |
| 3 to 5 | Likely damage | Multiple independent indicators; inspect and document now |
| 6 or more, or any interior water | Serious | Treat as active damage: document, protect, inspect urgently |
Report the loss first, stop further damage where safe, photograph everything before temporary repairs, keep receipts, and hold permanent repairs until the adjuster has inspected – that is the NC Department of Insurance sequence, and the numbered steps below give it in full.
Reported Mecklenburg County hail from 2020 through 2025 comes to 15 events, every one between April and July, with stones from 0.75 to 1.75 inches (NOAA Storm Events Database). The National Weather Service calls a storm severe once hail reaches 1 inch or winds hit 58 mph (NWS severe criteria).
HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
No – everything on this checklist reads from the ground or a window. Roof walking after a storm risks both you and the evidence; leave the on-roof check to the inspection.
Check now. Ground signs like granule piles and dented vents persist, and documentation dated two weeks after a storm still beats none. The sooner the photos exist, the cleaner any claim conversation.
Possibly neither – hail damage is streaky, and one side of a street can take stones the other missed. If adjacent homes are being repaired, a professional inspection is cheap certainty even with a clean ground check.
No. It tells you whether to start the NCDOI documentation sequence and how urgently to book a professional inspection – the adjuster’s report is a separate, later step that your photos support.
