April 17, 2026 Chicagoland Storms: Roof Damage Checklist by Affected County (2026)
April 17, 2026 brought confirmed tornadoes, 76 mph straight-line winds, and 2.25-inch hail across five Chicagoland counties. Here's what to look for on your own roof, county by county.
What happened on April 17, 2026
A line of severe thunderstorms moved across northern Illinois on the afternoon of April 17, 2026, producing confirmed tornadoes (NWS-rated EF-1 in northern Kane County and EF-0 in McHenry County), straight-line winds measured to 76 mph in parts of Cook and Will counties, and 2.25-inch hail across portions of Lake County. The damage was spotty rather than uniform — affected ZIP codes saw widespread roof damage; unaffected ZIPs two miles away saw nothing. Six weeks later, many of the roofs that were damaged that afternoon still haven't been inspected. Here's how to think about whether yours is one of them.
Was your address in the damage path?
The NWS storm reports for April 17, 2026 confirm damage in these specific zones (consult the official storm reports at weather.gov for the authoritative version): northern Kane County around Hampshire and Burlington; eastern McHenry County around Crystal Lake, Algonquin, and Lake in the Hills; central Cook County including parts of Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, and Palatine; western and southern Will County including parts of Plainfield, Joliet, and Romeoville; and parts of central Lake County including Round Lake Beach, Lake Villa, and Antioch. Hail intensity was greatest in the Lake County zone; wind damage was most widespread in Cook and Will. If your home is in one of these areas, your roof should be inspected.
What hail damage looks like (and what it doesn't)
Hail damage on asphalt shingles shows up as round bruises about the size of the hail — for the April 17 event in affected Lake County zones, that means impressions roughly 1.5 to 2.25 inches across. The bruise often shows as a darker spot where the granules have been knocked off, exposing the underlying asphalt. From the ground these look like nothing. From the roof, with a chalk circle drawn around suspected strikes per 100 square feet, the pattern becomes clear quickly. Soft-metal items on the roof — gutters, vents, flashing — show diagnostic dents at smaller hail sizes than shingles. If your gutters are dented or your vents have dimples and you were in the April 17 path, your shingles likely have hail strikes too even if you can't see them from the ground.
What wind damage looks like
76 mph straight-line winds in the affected Cook and Will County zones could lift shingles, break seal tabs on the lower edges, and tear off ridge cap shingles in concentrated areas. Wind damage often shows as missing shingles (visible from the ground), shingles lifted with broken seal tabs (visible from the roof — the shingle returns to position but no longer adheres), and ridge cap shingles missing or askew. Wind damage is more variable than hail damage — a wind gust hits one slope and not another, or one section of ridge and not the rest. Even partial wind damage usually warrants insurance documentation because the seal on adjacent shingles has often been broken even when they didn't fully detach.
The 6-step homeowner inspection
Before you call a contractor, do a 6-step check from the ground: (1) Walk the perimeter, look for any shingles on the ground or in beds. (2) Look up at the ridge line — is it straight and intact, or are there missing pieces? (3) Look at the gutters from a few feet back — are there dents that weren't there before April 17? (4) Look in the gutters — large amounts of shingle granules suggest hail impact or weathered shingles. (5) Look at downspouts, splash blocks, anything soft-metal at ground level — dents tell you hail intensity. (6) Walk the inside of the attic with a flashlight — any new water staining on the underside of the decking? If even one of these signals positive, a professional inspection is warranted. None of them positive and your address wasn't in the affected zones: you're probably fine.
Why six weeks later is still the right time to check
Hail and wind damage doesn't always announce itself by leaking immediately. A bruised shingle may not leak for two or three years, but the bruise dramatically shortens its remaining lifespan. The strongest case for an inspection six weeks after a storm is the insurance claim window: most policies require notice "as soon as practicable," which carriers typically interpret as within months of the event. Waiting until the leak shows up makes the claim harder to file and tie to a specific storm date. If your address was in the April 17 affected zone and you haven't been inspected yet, now is the right moment.
What a free inspection should actually include
An adjuster-ready inspection report includes: close-up photos of hail strikes per 100 square foot test area on multiple roof slopes, photos of any soft-metal damage to gutters and vents (these confirm hail intensity), photos of any wind-lifted or seal-failed shingles, an assessment of the deck condition visible from the attic, and a written verdict — either "no damage that should go to insurance" or "here's the documentation, file the claim, here's how to file." The verdict in writing is what separates a real inspection from a sales pitch. Any contractor whose only conclusion is "yes you have damage, sign here for the work" isn't actually inspecting.
Talk to us
Leaders Roofing is offering free 30-year anniversary post-storm inspections through July 31, 2026. We'll document any April 17 damage with adjuster-ready photos, give you an honest verdict in writing, and help you file the claim if one is warranted. We don't door-knock, we don't ask for upfront payment, and we don't offer to waive deductibles (which is illegal in Illinois under PA 098-0862 anyway). Call (708) 847-5418 or fill out our contact form. License #104.010248. Same Mount Prospect address since 1996.