What qualifies as a storm-created opening
- Shingles or tiles displaced by wind
- Windows broken by wind or wind-borne debris
- Doors compromised by wind
- Roof decking breach from uplift
- Wall envelope failure from wind pressure
- Soffit or fascia failure exposing attic
- Chimney, vent, or flashing displacement
What typically does NOT qualify
- Pre-existing damage widened by the storm (may qualify partially; contested)
- Interior-only water leak from plumbing or condensation
- Water infiltration through intact windows (wind-driven rain doctrine varies)
- Soffit intrusion through vents that are designed to flow air
Documentation requirements
The opening itself
- Photographs of the specific damaged component
- Measurement of the opening size
- Preserved sample of failed material (shingle, window fragment)
- Drone overview showing context
Storm correlation
- NOAA wind data (speed, direction, timing)
- Tornado or gust correlation
- Damage to adjacent properties
- Debris field documentation
Water entry through opening
- Interior damage pattern tracking from the opening location
- Moisture mapping showing distribution
- Temporal correlation with the event
Common denial tactics
- "The opening existed before the storm"
- "The opening is wear-and-tear"
- "Water entered through an intact window"
- "The roof is too old to establish the opening was storm-created"
Counter-documentation
- Prior underwriting inspection photos
- Recent roof work records
- Neighbor testimony
- Local code-inspection records
- Carrier-side photos from prior years