Work from the ground first. Walk the property line with a phone camera: shingles in the yard, debris, dented gutters and vents, and any tree contact, all photographed with the date on the record. From the street, use binoculars or a zoom photo for the slopes; a wet or debris covered roof is not a place for a homeowner in the first day after a storm.
In Plainfield, add the district question to the storm check. Photograph the roof and the yard as anywhere, but on a historic district home also photograph the material itself, slate, wood, or layered asphalt, slope by slope, because the claim and the repair both evaluate the fabric. After a storm like July 3, 2025, the check that matters is done within days, while debris and dates still agree with each other.
Inside, the check is ceilings and the attic hatch: new stains, a drip line, damp insulation. Note which storm produced them, because leaks surface 12 to 72 hours after an event as trapped water moves, and the claim is filed under the storm date, not the discovery date.
Then decide in order: an open roof or active drip is a tarping call today. Damage you can only see as marks and yard shingles is an inspection this week. Either way, keep the photos and any fallen shingles until the assessment is done; they are evidence, not trash.
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