If you're in the Fox Valley or anywhere in the Chicagoland suburbs, you already know June 2026 has been a rough month for weather. We've had multiple rounds of severe thunderstorms roll through since late May, and honestly the forecast suggests we're not done yet. Early June in northern Illinois has been unusually active this year, and storm season still has a long way to go.

The worst of it so far came Wednesday June 10th. A derecho, basically a fast moving wall of straight line winds, tore through northern Illinois with gusts recorded between 70 and 90 miles per hour. Then Thursday evening hit with a second round. Tornado warnings across the Fox Valley, large hail, more damaging winds. Over 250,000 homes across Chicagoland lost power. Trees came down in Aurora, Naperville, Batavia, St. Charles and beyond. It was a lot.

Here's the thing though. A lot of homeowners looked outside after the storm, didn't see anything obviously wrong, and moved on. That's actually where we see the most problems develop.

Storm damage is sneaky

When winds hit 70 plus mph, the damage it does to a roof or siding isn't always dramatic. There's no tree through the living room, no missing chunks of roof. What happens is subtler than that. Shingle edges lift slightly. Flashing around your chimney or vents gets loosened. Siding develops hairline cracks or shifts just enough to let water in. None of that is visible from inside your house, and honestly a lot of it is hard to spot from the ground too.

But the next time it rains? You'll find it. Usually as a water stain on your ceiling, moisture in the attic, or a leak that seems to come out of nowhere. After 20 plus years inspecting homes across the Fox Valley after major weather events, this is the pattern we see over and over again.

Here's what to take a look at

You don't need a ladder for any of this. Start by walking around the outside of your house and looking up at the roofline. Look for anything visibly missing, lifted, or curled. Then check your gutters. If you see a lot of granules in them (the gritty dark material that looks like coarse sand) that's a sign your shingles took some impact. One storm can accelerate granule loss significantly and that matters for how long your roof holds up.

On the siding side of things, look for cracks, dents, or any sections that seem to have shifted or pulled away from the wall. Even a small crack in your siding is a water entry point and water entry points have a way of becoming much bigger problems if the next storm finds them before you do.

Check your gutters and downspouts for bends or sections that have pulled away from the house. Gutters that aren't draining properly push water toward your foundation and that creates a whole separate set of headaches.

Then go inside and do a quick walk through. Look up at every ceiling. A fresh water stain or a subtle wet smell that wasn't there before is worth taking seriously. If you have attic access, peek up there too. Wet insulation or any sign of daylight coming through where it shouldn't is a clear signal something needs attention.

The insurance piece matters more than people realize

Illinois homeowner's insurance covers storm damage but there are reporting windows. Waiting too long after a qualifying storm event can make your claim harder to file, even when the damage is real and obvious. Getting an inspection done now while the June 10th event is fresh and well documented puts you in a much better position than waiting a few months and trying to connect the dots.

A good contractor will spot damage you might not, document it properly, and help you understand what's actually claimable before you ever pick up the phone with your insurance company.

We're already out in the Fox Valley

Our team is currently inspecting homes across Aurora, Naperville, Batavia, St. Charles, Geneva and the surrounding area. If you're not sure what this week's storms did to your roof or siding, a free inspection is the fastest way to find out. And with more storms likely on the way this summer, sooner is definitely better than later.

📞 (630) 556-8099 | Schedule your free storm damage inspection at dwingconstruction.com →​