Should I photograph storm damage before repairs?

Each elevation from the ground, including ones that look undamaged, so there is a record of the whole roof on that date. Debris where it fell, before it is cleared. Internal water damage, staining and any damaged contents. The roof space, if it can be reached safely.

Wide shots first, then closer ones, so the location of each detail is obvious later.

From the ground, with both feet on level surfaces. Do not use a ladder in wind or rain, do not climb onto a roof, and do not stand beneath anything hanging. A phone camera zoomed in is safer and usually good enough.

Where the roof cannot be seen properly from the ground, a drone survey produces far better evidence than any attempt to climb.

A survey provides dated imagery of the roof as found, with a written record of what each observation shows and what it may indicate. That is separate from any claim decision, which rests with your insurer under the terms of your policy.

We do not state or imply what any policy covers.

Keep the original image files rather than only screenshots or copies, since the file's date and metadata can matter if the images are examined later. Store them somewhere separate from the phone itself, such as backed up to cloud storage or emailed to yourself, in case the device is lost or damaged before the images are transferred.

If a surveyor attends afterwards, share your photographs with them alongside their own findings, since your images may show the debris or damage as it was before any clearing or temporary work took place. Combining both records gives a more complete picture of the sequence of events than either would alone. Where several people in the household took photographs independently, gathering them together and noting who took each one and when avoids confusion later about which set is the earliest record. A short written note alongside the images, recording the date and roughly what each one shows, is a small addition that makes the whole set easier to use later.