Storm & hail ready

Johnson County sits in the heart of tornado and hail country. Most storms bring nothing worse than a few downed limbs — but a five-minute plan and a post-storm checklist protect your family and your biggest asset.

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Watch

Conditions are favorable for severe weather. Charge phones, know your shelter spot, bring in loose items.

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Warning

Severe weather is occurring or imminent. For a tornado warning, go to your lowest interior room now.

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Outdoor sirens

Sirens are designed to alert people outdoors. Inside, rely on a weather radio and phone alerts.

Before the season (March)

Enable Wireless Emergency Alerts and a trusted weather app; consider a NOAA weather radio with battery backup.
Pick a shelter spot: basement, away from windows, under sturdy furniture or stairs. No basement? An interior bathroom or closet on the lowest floor.
Stock a go-bin: shoes, flashlights, phone power bank, helmets for kids, water, medications, copies of IDs and insurance.
Photograph every room, your roof and exterior. A dated "before" record speeds claims enormously.
Read your policy's wind/hail deductible and your deadline for filing claims.
Test your sump pump and backup — heavy spring rain is a basement's biggest enemy.

After hail (first 72 hours)

Stay safe. Avoid ladders on wet roofs. Watch for downed lines and report them to the utility.
Document. Photograph hailstones next to a coin or ruler, dented gutters and downspouts, split siding, damaged A/C fins and window screens.
Prevent further damage. Tarp active leaks and keep receipts; reasonable mitigation is usually reimbursable.
Get a local inspection. Use an established, licensed roofer — not the first truck at your door.
File promptly. Notify your insurer and request the adjuster appointment early; schedules fill quickly after big storms.

Storm-chaser red flags: out-of-state plates with no local address, pressure to sign on the spot, offers to "cover your deductible" (insurance fraud), and demands for large cash deposits. Overland Park contractors need city licensing and roofing permits — ask for both.

Go deeper: The hail-damage roof claim playbook · Roof replacement cost

Free post-storm roof inspection

Get matched with a licensed local roofer who documents damage for insurance.

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Spotting hail damageWhat to look for on shingles and soft metals.

How KC storms unfoldLocal severe-weather coverage.

NWS Kansas City/Pleasant Hill ↗ · Johnson County Emergency Management ↗ · Ready.gov tornado guide ↗