Named storms hit Sussex every winter. Storm Eunice in February 2022 caused some of the worst roof damage across the South East in a generation – exposed ridge sections torn off whole streets in Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill, widespread slipped tiles across Mid Sussex, and lead flashings peeled back on hundreds of chimney stacks. Storm Ciaran the following November repeated the damage on any roof not yet repaired, and Storm Henk in January 2024 finished off many of the borderline roofs that survived the previous two.
If your pitched roof has taken damage in a Sussex storm, the next 48 hours matter. Done right, you stop secondary damage, document what you need for an insurance claim, and get the right repair booked before every roofer in the county is fully booked. Done badly, a few slipped tiles turn into a saturated loft, soaked ceilings, and a claim that spirals.
This post is what to do – in order – when a storm hits.
Storm Damage You Can Actually See
From the ground, check for:
- Tiles or slates missing entirely from the roof slope – you’ll see darker felt or underlay underneath
- Tiles visibly slipped – sitting out of line with their course
- Tiles in the garden, on the driveway, or on the road – the ones that got away
- Ridge tiles displaced or missing at the top of the roof
- Hip tiles missing on hipped roofs
- Lead flashings lifted from chimneys, abutment walls, or dormers
- Chimney pots cracked, leaning, or missing
- Gutters detached from the fascia or bent out of line
- Aerials or satellite dishes hanging off or on the ground – often these bring tiles down with them
Take photographs of everything, from multiple angles, including the ground-level debris. Insurance assessors want to see the damage before any repairs happen, and the photos prove the damage was storm-related rather than pre-existing wear.
Damage You Can’t See from the Ground
The visible damage is only part of the picture. Some of the worst storm damage is internal:
- Water staining on loft rafters – the first sign of a compromised covering above
- Wet insulation in the loft, especially near the eaves or around chimney stacks
- Dripping visible in the loft during or shortly after rainfall
- Daylight visible through the roof from inside the loft
- Ceiling stains appearing in upstairs rooms, especially below a visible damaged area
- Damp smell in cupboards or on landings under the roof space
Go into the loft with a torch if it is safe to do so. Look for any water ingress, and photograph what you find. If the loft is inaccessible or unsafe, skip it – a roofer will check during their survey.
Immediate Steps (First 24 Hours)
1. Stop Further Damage if You Can
If water is actively coming in through a visible hole in the roof, containing it matters more than anything else. Inside, move furniture, put down buckets or towels, and protect electrics. Outside, if tiles have dropped from a height, cordon off the area below so no-one walks underneath.
Do not climb the roof. Storm-damaged roofs are far more dangerous than they look. Displaced tiles leave loose battens and exposed underlay that won’t take anyone’s weight. Every winter we see DIY repairs turn into accident and emergency visits.
2. Photograph Everything
Before any temporary cover or repair happens, photograph the damage thoroughly:
- Every face of the roof from the ground
- Any tiles or debris on the ground, with context showing where they came from
- Any internal damage (loft, ceilings, walls)
- Wet patches, stains, or visible water ingress
- Date and time-stamp your photos (most phones do this automatically)
These photos are essential for the insurance claim.
3. Notify Your Insurer
Contact your home insurer as soon as practical – most policies require notification within a set window (typically 48-72 hours for storm damage). Even if you don’t know the full extent yet, log the claim. The insurer will usually send an assessor, often through a managed-repair scheme.
4. Arrange Temporary Weather Protection
If the damage is letting water in, a professional roofer can fit a temporary tarpaulin or a weatherproof patch to stop further ingress until a full repair can be scheduled. This is a common first-visit task for Cornerstone Roofing after a named storm – we often do 20-40 temporary covers in the 48 hours after a major event, before starting the permanent repairs the following week.
Common Types of Storm Damage in Sussex
Different storms cause different damage patterns. After years of storm work across Mid Sussex, these are the patterns we see most often.
Slipped or Missing Tiles
The most common storm damage by a long way. High winds lift tiles that were mortar-bedded only (older roofs pre-BS 5534 2014 update), or where nibs had broken off over time. A modern BS 5534-compliant roof with every tile mechanically fixed rarely loses tiles in anything short of extreme wind.
Sussex tends to see tile loss concentrated on the windward slopes (usually south-west or west-facing in Atlantic storms) and at the corners of the roof, where wind uplift is strongest.
Ridge Section Damage
Ridge tiles sit at the highest-wind position on the roof. Pre-2014, they were mortar-bedded only, and a good gust could take a whole run off in one piece. Storm Eunice took ridges off entire streets in Burgess Hill. Modern dry ridge systems or mortar-plus-mechanical-fixing survive far better.
If you are missing ridge tiles or whole sections of ridge, the underlay is immediately exposed to weather. This is a priority repair – a temporary cover at minimum within 24 hours.
Lead Flashing Damage
Chimney flashings and abutment flashings (where the roof meets a wall) can lift in storm winds, especially if they were never properly chased and wedged. Once lifted, they let water straight down the chimney stack or wall cavity. From inside the house, this shows up as damp on the chimney breast or on the wall under the roof abutment.
See our leadwork roofing guide for how lead flashings should be detailed – once you know what to look for, it’s obvious which storm damage is fixable and which reveals a pre-storm installation fault.
Chimney Stack Damage
Chimney stacks are the tallest exposed brickwork on the house and often take the brunt of lateral wind loads. Storm damage shows up as:
- Leaning chimney stacks (emergency – safety hazard)
- Cracked or missing chimney pots
- Loose pointing on the brickwork
- Flaunching (the mortar cap at the top of the stack) cracked or collapsed
A leaning chimney is an immediate call-out – it’s a falling hazard for anything and anyone underneath. See chimney repairs guide for ongoing care.
Gutter and Downpipe Damage
High winds and debris can rip gutters off fascia boards or bend them out of shape. Fallen branches are a common cause. Damaged gutters don’t cause immediate ingress but lead to overflowing water behind the fascia, rotting the timber and eventually letting water track inside. Worth fixing in the weeks after the storm, not necessarily the same day. See gutter replacement vs repair.
Tree Damage
Fallen branches or full trees on a roof cause the most severe storm damage seen in Sussex. These are emergency jobs – tree removal first (which may need an arborist), then a full structural assessment of the roof, then repair. Don’t enter the property if you think the structure is compromised; call a structural engineer through your insurer.
Temporary vs Permanent Repairs
Temporary Fixes (Within 24-72 Hours)
- Weatherproof tarpaulin over exposed underlay or holes
- Emergency felt patches on damaged underlay
- Bucket-and-containment inside for active ingress
- Sheeting over damaged chimney stacks
Temporary fixes stop more water getting in. They are not the long-term repair.
Permanent Repairs (Usually Within 2-6 Weeks)
- Replacement tiles or slates installed to BS 5534 with proper mechanical fixing
- Ridge sections re-fixed with dry ridge or mortar-and-mechanical-fixing
- Lead flashings re-dressed, re-wedged, and re-pointed
- Chimney stacks re-built or re-pointed as needed
- Underlay patched or replaced where damaged
The busiest period for a Sussex roofer is the 2-6 weeks after a major named storm. Getting on the list early matters – book the permanent repair as soon as the temporary cover is on, not when the weather next gets bad.
Insurance Claims
Storm damage is covered by most home insurance policies under “storms, tempests, or floods” – provided the damage is clearly storm-related and not pre-existing wear. Claim process typically:
- Notify insurer (within 48-72 hours)
- Insurer either sends an assessor or asks for your own quotes
- Provide photos, the roofer’s report, and repair quote
- Insurer approves the repair and pays (either direct to roofer or to you)
A common claim dispute: insurers try to classify damage as “wear and tear” rather than storm damage. This is where professional photographs taken before any temporary cover went on are decisive. A reputable Sussex roofer will provide a written report confirming the damage pattern is consistent with storm activity rather than ordinary deterioration.
Preventing Storm Damage Before the Next Storm
Some storm damage is preventable if the roof is in good shape going in. Before the next winter:
- Annual visual inspection from ground level – look for slipped tiles, loose ridge, lifted flashings, moss build-up
- Clear gutters before October – blocked gutters overflow under pressure and damage fascias and eaves
- Check chimney pointing and flaunching – 10-year pointing cycle is typical for exposed Sussex chimneys
- Trim trees near the roof – any branch within 2m of the roof is a storm-force projectile
- Upgrade pre-2014 roofs – if your roof is mortar-bedded only with no mechanical ridge fixing, you are first in line for storm loss. Converting to dry ridge and adding tile clips is far cheaper than a full re-roof and a claim.
See pitched roof maintenance for the full annual schedule.
When to Call Cornerstone Roofing
Emergency call-out warranted if:
- Water is actively coming into the property
- A chimney stack is leaning
- A tree or large branch is on the roof
- Ridge or hip sections are missing or obviously unstable
- Loose tiles are at risk of falling onto people or property below
Next-working-day call-out suitable for:
- Visible tile or slate damage without active ingress
- Lifted flashings without immediate damp
- Damaged gutters or fascia after a storm
- Minor storm damage you want checked before it worsens
We serve the whole Cornerstone patch – Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Cuckfield, Lindfield, Hurstpierpoint, Hassocks, Ditchling, Scaynes Hill, Wivelsfield, Ardingly, West Hoathly, Balcombe, Sayers Common, Bolney, Newick, and everywhere between.
Emergency roof repair page covers the specific emergency response process, and contact us for non-urgent enquiries.