After Last Night's Hail Storm: What San Antonio and Hill Country Homeowners Need to Do Right Now

If you woke up this Tuesday morning to dented gutters, shredded plants or a yard full of ice pellets, you are not alone. Storms rolling through overnight on May 26 into May 27, 2025 hammered San Antonio and a wide stretch of the Hill Country with large hail, gusty winds and significant rainfall. Communities including Helotes, Seguin, Boerne, Comfort, Spring Branch and Fredericksburg all saw impacts, with hail reports ranging from dime- and quarter-sized across much of the region to lemon-sized stones near Fredericksburg. San Antonio picked up one to three inches of rain overnight, while Helotes and Seguin each recorded more than three inches.

That combination — large hail plus heavy rain plus wind — is exactly the kind of event that can cause serious, sometimes hidden damage to a home. Acting quickly in the days following a storm like this is one of the most important things you can do to protect your investment and your insurance claim.

The first thing to do is a careful walk-around of your property, ideally this morning while conditions are calm. Look at your roof from the ground if you can do so safely. Damaged shingles often show as dark spots, missing granules, dents or cracks. Check your gutters and downspouts for dents, separations or debris blockages. Look at any skylights, vents, chimney caps and HVAC equipment on or near the roof. Hail causes damage that is not always visible from street level, so if you see anything concerning, contact a licensed roofing contractor — not a storm chaser who knocked on your door uninvited — to do a proper inspection.

Also walk your yard and look at fences, window screens, exterior paint and siding. Air conditioning condensers sitting on the ground are particularly vulnerable to hail and are worth checking. Window seals can be compromised by impact or by rapid temperature changes, which sometimes only shows up as fogging between panes weeks later.

If you believe your home sustained damage, call your homeowner's insurance company to open a claim as soon as possible. Document everything with photos and video before you make any temporary repairs. Keep all receipts if you do need to cover something — tarps, for example — to prevent further water intrusion. Most policies require you to mitigate additional damage, so reasonable temporary measures are appropriate, but hold off on permanent repairs until an adjuster has visited.

Homeowners in Helotes and Seguin, where rainfall was particularly heavy, should also check for signs of water intrusion in attics, around windows, in garages and in any low-lying areas of the home. Three or more inches of rain in a short period can overwhelm drainage systems, push water under doors or through small gaps that have gone unnoticed. If you have a basement or a low-grade garage, check those spaces today.

For homeowners in the Hill Country — Boerne, Comfort, Spring Branch and the Fredericksburg area — lemon-sized hail is serious business. Hailstones that size carry enough force to crack tiles, punch through older shingles, break skylights and damage wood surfaces significantly. If you own property in any of those areas, a professional roof inspection is not optional at this point; it is a priority.

If you are currently selling a home in any of the affected communities, you have a disclosure obligation. Any known storm damage discovered after last night must be disclosed to buyers. The smart move is to get your inspection done promptly so you know exactly what you are dealing with and can address it before it complicates a transaction.

If you are under contract to buy a home in San Antonio, Helotes, Boerne, Seguin or elsewhere in the affected area, talk to your real estate agent today about whether a post-storm inspection or re-inspection makes sense. A storm of this size, this close to closing, is a legitimate reason to take a second look.

Renters should photograph any damage they observe — to windows, screens, patios or personal property — and notify their landlord in writing today. Renter's insurance may cover personal property loss; your landlord's policy covers the structure itself.

San Antonio and the Hill Country are no strangers to severe spring weather. But each storm is a reminder that a home is a physical asset that needs attention after significant weather events. The few hours you spend inspecting and documenting now can save you thousands of dollars and weeks of headaches down the road.