Fairview Storm Damage: Rain Through the Roof After a Tree Falls on the House

What happened in Fairview on October 12, 2022

WSMV reported that tornado warned storms left Fairview among the hardest hit areas that day, with trees falling on homes and across roads. More than 3,700 people in Williamson County were without power at one point, and winds near Fairview High School destroyed at least three homes.

WKRN reported that the National Weather Service determined 75 mph winds caused a swath of damage in Fairview that afternoon. FOX 17 reported a gas station canopy along Fairview Boulevard ripped off and mobile homes across the street damaged, forcing people from their homes.

The damage was reported as high wind damage, and a tornado in Fairview that day is not confirmed.

How a fallen tree turns into water damage

WSMV also reported that a tree came down through the ceiling of a Fairview home, leaving water all over the resident's belongings, and that crews quickly put tarps over neighbors' roofs.

That sequence is typical of storm damage. The wind or the tree makes the opening, and the rain does the second round of damage that roof leak water damage crews are called in to dry.

The water usually travels in this order:

• Roof deck and shingles: the opening lets rain onto the decking and into the attic.
• Attic insulation: it soaks up water and loads the ceiling below with extra weight.
• Ceiling drywall: it stains, softens and sags, and it can fall.
• Walls and floors: water follows the framing and wiring openings down into rooms, floor coverings and furniture.

The first steps after a tree hits the roof

Safety and covering the opening come before cleanup.

• Stay clear: Keep out of rooms under a damaged ceiling, and treat any downed wire or power cable as live.
• Cut power: Switch off the breakers for wet rooms, and leave checking the panel to an electrician.
• Cover the opening: A tarp over the damaged roof keeps the next rain out, which is what crews did on neighbors' roofs after the storm.
• Document first: Photograph the tree, the opening, the wet ceiling and the contents before anything is moved.
• Call early: A roofer closes the opening while a restoration company removes wet insulation and dries the rooms, and both can work at once.
• Keep receipts: Emergency covering and storage costs belong in the claim.

Checking the attic once the storm has passed

A careful look from the attic hatch with a flashlight shows how far the rain traveled. Nobody should step between the joists, because the drywall below will not hold a person.

The point of the look is to describe the damage for the roofer and the restoration crew, not to repair it.

Signs worth noting:

• Daylight showing through the roof decking
• Dark, wet or sagging insulation near the opening
• Water stains on the underside of the decking or around vents and the chimney
• Drips on the framing, or a hatch cover that feels damp
• Ceiling paint that bubbles or turns brown in the rooms below

What happens to the attic and the ceiling

The extraction crew removes standing water, and the drying team opens the ceiling wherever the drywall is sagging, stained or soft. Wet attic insulation comes out, because it holds water against the framing and the ceiling long after the rain stops.

Framing in the attic and wall cavities is dried with air movers and dehumidifiers, with readings taken each day. Crews handling ceiling leak water damage in Fairview use the same method, only with a roof opening as the source.

The usual outcomes look like this:

• Insulation that took on water: removed and replaced
• Drywall that is sagging or soft: cut out and replaced
• Framing and roof decking: dried, then checked with a meter
• Contents on a wet floor: moved, dried or listed as damaged

Fairview's mix of homes

An estimated 2,133 of Fairview's 3,624 housing units were built before 2000, the median year built is 1997, and an estimated 263 units are mobile homes. A storm like the one in October 2022 meets many kinds of roofs and walls, and wet insulation and framing need the same attention under every one of them.

Crews that handle water damage restoration in Fairview treat a storm opening, a wet ceiling and wet framing as one job, whatever the age of the house.

Repairs, permits and the claim

Fairview's Codes Department issues building permits and inspects construction projects, and permit applications go through the City's GovWell portal. Ask the department whether a given roof or structural repair needs a permit before a contractor starts.

Wind damage is generally covered under a homeowners policy, though some policies carry a separate wind or hail deductible. Photographs of the opening, the wet ceiling and the contents, together with the drying logs, are the core of the file.

Crews that handle roof leak water damage in Spring Hill run the same process, from tarp to final readings. A claim file for storm damage usually holds these items:

• Photos and video of the tree, the opening and every wet room
• The date of the storm and the date the opening was covered
• Receipts for tarping, tree removal and temporary housing
• The drying team's daily readings and equipment log