The situation
Illustrative example. Not a real job or customer.
In a hypothetical tilt-up warehouse in an Aurora industrial area, an evening storm brings hail followed by heavy rain. Hail piles up around the flat roof's drains and blocks them. Water ponds several inches deep across a section of roof and finds an open seam. By morning, water is dripping from the roof deck onto pallets in two rack rows, and a broad sheet of water covers the sealed concrete floor near the dock doors.
- The site manager closes off the affected aisles and stops forklift traffic through the wet zone.
- A roofer clears hail from the drains, which drops the ponding quickly, and patches the open seam.
- Photos and video document the roof ponding, drips, wet pallets and floor water.
- Floor water is moved to drains with squeegees and extracted with ride-on and portable units.
- Wet inventory is pulled, separated by product, and logged with lot numbers.
- Wet insulation on the underside of the roof deck is checked; soaked sections are marked for removal.
The floor dries quickly because sealed concrete absorbs little water. The main losses are wet cardboard packaging and some damaged product. The roof gets a full inspection, and drain guards are added.
Damage by area
| Area | What was wet | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Roof | Ponding, open seam, damaged drain guards | Drains cleared, seam patched, inspection scheduled |
| Roof deck underside | Faced insulation in two bays | Soaked sections removed and replaced |
| Racks | Cartons on upper and middle levels | Pulled, sorted, logged for the claim |
| Floor | Sealed concrete near docks | Squeegeed, extracted, dried with air movers |
| Electrical | Dock door operators near water | Checked by an electrician before use |
The order that kept losses down
- Stop the water at the roof.Clearing drains was the fastest way to stop the leak; nothing indoors mattered until the ponding drained.
- Protect people.Wet concrete is slick under forklifts and pallet jacks. Aisles were closed, not just signed.
- Save what can be saved.Dry inventory near the wet zone was moved first, then wet product was pulled.
- Extract and dry.Large, open floors dry well once water is removed; the bigger task was the overhead insulation.
Flat roofs versus pitched roofs after hail
Flat commercial roof
- Water ponds when drains clog
- A single seam can leak into a large area
- Damage is hard to see from the ground
Pitched residential roof
- Water sheds quickly unless gutters clog
- Leaks usually come through damaged shingles or flashing
- Granule loss and dents are often visible on gutters and vents
General information for Aurora, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.