After the Storm: A Tree Through the Roof and Into the Stairwell

What we found

On our first visit the yard was full of fallen limbs and leaves. A tree had come down onto the house.

Broken limbs were lying on the metal roof. Panels were bent, and one seam had split open. Along one roof edge, the trim had torn away and the bare wood underneath was showing.

What it looked like inside

The tree came all the way through. Looking up from inside, you could see broken roof framing with the trunk right behind it. In the attic, daylight was coming in through a hole in the roof deck.

In the stairwell, the drywall was broken open. Insulation, wood and leaves were scattered down the carpeted stairs. We checked the stairwell walls and ceiling with a thermal camera, which shows differences in surface temperature.

We came back two days later and again nine days after the first visit to photograph the roof and the outside of the house.

If a tree hits your home

Stay out from under any spot where a limb has come through. Keep everyone off the stairs if debris has fallen there.

If you can do it safely, take photos of the damage outside and inside before anything gets moved. Damage you can see from the yard may reach into the attic and the walls, so have someone look inside as well.