Golf ball-sized hail recently pounded parts of southern Minnesota, with heavy impacts reported across Faribault, Lake City, and St Peter. If your home sits in one of these areas, your roof, siding, and gutters may be damaged even if everything looks fine from the driveway. Here is exactly what to do in the hours and days after a hail event.

Storm Recap: Where Damage Is Most Likely

  • Faribault, Lake City, and St Peter took the brunt of the impact, with hail reaching golf ball size (roughly 1.75 inches in diameter).
  • High winds accompanied the hail, which typically drives shingle granule loss, torn flashing, and siding cracks on the windward side of homes.
  • Older roofs (15+ years), soft metal gutters, and vinyl siding are the most vulnerable to this size of hail.
  • Neighborhoods with mature tree cover often show mixed damage — some homes shielded, others hit hard.

Just because your neighbor’s roof looks fine does not mean yours is.

Why Hail Damage Often Hides in Plain Sight

Hail damage is frequently invisible from the ground. Asphalt shingles can lose their protective granules, crack internally, or bruise the mat beneath without any obvious visual cue. That hidden damage shortens the life of your roof and opens the door to leaks months later — often long after your insurance claim window closes.

Common reasons homeowners miss damage:

  • Functional damage (impact bruises) is only visible up close on the shingle surface.
  • Soft metals like gutters and AC fins dent in patterns trained eyes spot quickly.
  • Wind-driven hail can damage only one or two slopes of a roof, making a ground-level glance misleading.

What to Check Right Now: DIY Hail Damage Checklist

Walk your property with your phone in hand and look for:

  • Gutters and downspouts: Round dents, dings, or flattened sections.
  • Siding: Pockmarks, cracks, or holes — especially on the north and west sides.
  • Window screens and wraps: Tears or punctures indicate direct hail impact.
  • Outdoor AC unit: Bent condenser fins are a reliable hail indicator.
  • Decks, grills, and painted surfaces: Chipped paint and splintered wood signal strong impacts.
  • Shingles (from the ground): Missing pieces, exposed underlayment, or granules piled at downspout exits.
  • Ceilings and attic: Water stains, damp insulation, daylight through the decking, or a musty smell.

Do not climb the roof yourself. Wet, hail-damaged shingles are slippery, and DIY roof inspections are one of the most common causes of homeowner falls after a storm.

Red Flags That Require Immediate Action

  • Granules filling your gutters or pooling at the bottom of downspouts.
  • Water stains on ceilings or upper walls within 48 hours of the storm.
  • Dented metal roof vents, ridge caps, or flashing.
  • Siding panels that rattle, sag, or show hairline cracks.
  • An insurance adjuster scheduled before you have your own documentation.

Any one of these means you should call a local roofing contractor before filing a claim.

Why a Professional Inspection Matters After Hail

A qualified roofing professional will safely walk the roof, chalk-mark impact points, photograph damage with reference measurements, and produce a written report. That report matters for three reasons:

  • Structural integrity: Bruised shingles may look fine but fail during the next freeze-thaw cycle.
  • Leak prevention: Early repairs stop small impact points from becoming ceiling leaks this summer.
  • Insurance leverage: Independent contractor documentation protects you if the adjuster misses damage or offers a low settlement.

Most reputable Minnesota roofing companies offer free post-storm inspections. You should never pay for a hail damage assessment.

Step-by-Step: Your First 72 Hours After the Storm

  1. Walk the exterior and photograph every dent, crack, and stain with timestamps.
  2. Save any hail you collected — photograph it next to a coin or ruler for scale.
  3. Check attic and ceilings during daylight hours for moisture or light penetration.
  4. Schedule a free professional inspection before contacting your insurance company.
  5. Keep all receipts for emergency tarping or temporary repairs.
  6. File your insurance claim with documentation already in hand.

Bottom Line: When to Call a Contractor

Call a local, licensed roofing contractor if your home is in Faribault, Lake City, St Peter, or any surrounding community hit by last week’s hail. A 20-minute inspection now can save you tens of thousands in deferred damage and protect your eligibility for an insurance claim.

Exteriors Plus serves Minnesota homeowners with free, no-obligation hail damage inspections, written documentation, and full roofing and siding restoration. If you suspect your home was hit, schedule your inspection now — insurance claim windows for hail damage are often shorter than homeowners realize.

Do not wait for a leak to confirm what a trained inspector can catch this week.