What counts as a roofing emergency
- Water actively dripping or pouring through a ceiling or light fixture
- A tree or large limb on the roof
- Sections of shingles or flat-roof membrane torn off by wind
- A sagging ceiling holding water. Keep people away from it.
- Flashing or a skylight torn open by a storm
Any of these will get worse with the next rain. Call us and tell us what you are seeing.
What to do right now
- Stay safe. Do not go on the roof, especially in wind, rain or darkness. If water is near electrical fixtures, shut off power to that area at the breaker.
- Contain the water. Buckets, towels and plastic sheeting. If a ceiling is bulging, a small hole at the lowest point can drain it in a controlled way. Only do this if you can do it safely.
- Move valuables and electronics out of the affected rooms.
- Document everything. Take photos and video of the interior damage and, from the ground, the roof. Your insurer will ask.
- Call your insurer to report the damage, then call us for emergency protection.
If a tree is on power lines, stay clear and call Pepco and 911. Do not approach downed lines.
Our emergency response
- Assess: locate the entry points and check for structural concerns.
- Protect: secure heavy-duty tarps over damaged areas, battened to shed water without adding new holes where possible, or temporarily seal flashing and membrane breaches.
- Document: photos and notes of the damage and the temporary work, for your records and insurance claim.
- Plan the permanent fix: a written estimate for the roof repair or storm damage repair needed.
Tarping is temporary. Its job is to keep water out until the permanent repair can be done properly.
Storms that cause roofing emergencies here
Montgomery County's worst roofing emergencies come from wind and trees. The June 29, 2012 derecho knocked out power to 238,000 of Pepco's 309,583 Montgomery County customers at its peak, and the county's first count found about 80 homes with significant damage. The one storm death in the county happened when a tree fell onto a Silver Spring house. In June 2024, NWS surveyors documented an oak uprooted into a house on Dogwood Drive in Gaithersburg, injuring five people. Older neighborhoods in Bethesda and Chevy Chase have similar mature tree cover.
What a roofing emergency usually looks like here
The emergency we are called out for in southern Montgomery County is rarely a hurricane. It is a limb or a whole tree coming out of the mature canopy during a summer thunderstorm or under wet snow, punching through sheathing over a bedroom, usually at night, and usually while the power is out. The June 29, 2012 derecho is the extreme version of that pattern: it knocked out power to 77% of Pepco's Montgomery County customers at its peak, and tree failures did most of the damage. Planning for the realistic scenario means being equipped to work in the dark and in the wet, without site power, on streets that may be partly blocked.
The order of operations in an emergency is make it safe, stop the water, then document, in that order. The first visit is temporary dry-in: tarping, sealing the opening, and relieving trapped water in a ceiling before it collapses. It is not the permanent repair, and it should not be billed as one. Your insurer expects you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, so keep the dated photographs and the invoice for the emergency work; both support the claim you will file under storm damage roof repair.
Access is the part people do not anticipate. If a tree is down across the driveway or resting on the roof, the sequence involves a tree crew as well as a roofer, and the two jobs are different: a tree service removes the weight safely, we handle everything about the roof and the opening. We coordinate that rather than working under a loaded limb. Once the house is dry and the debris is gone, a full roof inspection finds the impact damage that is not visible from the ground, and the permanent fix becomes either a targeted roof repair or, when the deck and structure took a real hit, a roof replacement.
Emergency Roof Repair across Bethesda, North Bethesda and Chevy Chase
We provide emergency roof repair throughout southern Montgomery County, including Bethesda, MD (20814, 20816, 20817) , North Bethesda, MD (20852) , and Chevy Chase, MD (20815) . Each area page covers the housing types, permit considerations and storm history particular to that community.
Recent Montgomery County storms
These recorded events show the kinds of weather local roofs need to withstand. See the full Montgomery County storm history.
June 29, 2012 Derecho
A fast-moving line of severe thunderstorms knocked out power to 77% of Pepco customers in Montgomery County (238,000 of 309,583) at its peak.
Roof takeaway: Straight-line winds tear off shingles and peel back flashing, and they bring down mature trees, which are common in established Bethesda and Chevy Chase neighborhoods.
June 5, 2024 Montgomery County Tornadoes
The National Weather Service confirmed two EF-1 tornadoes in Montgomery County: one from Poolesville to Seneca Creek State Park, and one from Gaithersburg to Ashton.
Roof takeaway: Most of the damage came from trees and large limbs falling onto homes. A healthy roof does little against that, which is why a post-storm inspection matters even when shingles look intact from the street.
Source: National Weather Service, Baltimore/Washington (Sterling, VA)
Frequently asked questions
Can you come out during the storm?
We will not put a crew on a roof in lightning or high winds, because it is not safe for anyone. We can talk you through interior water control by phone and get to the roof as soon as conditions allow.
Does insurance cover emergency tarping?
Many homeowners policies expect you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, and emergency tarping is often part of that. Coverage depends on your policy, so check with your insurer. We provide photos and an invoice for your claim.
How long can a tarp stay on?
A properly secured tarp is a short-term fix measured in days or weeks, not months. Sun and wind break tarps down, so schedule the permanent repair promptly.