Just because summer is in full swing does not mean severe weather season is behind us. Missouri and Illinois have continued to see rounds of severe storms this year, including damaging wind, hail, and tornado warnings moving through central Illinois and the greater St. Louis region in recent weeks. For commercial property owners, that means storm-related roof risk is still very much active.
A Pattern, Not Just a Single Event
What makes this stretch notable is not one dramatic storm, but the repetition. Several rounds of severe weather moving through the same general area within a matter of weeks can compound stress on a commercial roof, even when each individual storm looks unremarkable on its own.
What These Storms Typically Bring
- Straight-line winds: Gusts in the 60-70 mph range have been reported with several recent systems, enough to test perimeter flashing and roof edges.
- Hail: Even pea- to quarter-sized hail, when combined with wind-driven rain, can create hidden bruising in a membrane that is not obvious from the ground.
- Heavy, fast-moving rain: Intense rainfall can quickly expose weak points in drainage systems that were previously keeping up just fine.
- Tornado warnings: Even when a building sits outside the direct path, the wind field around a tornado-warned storm can still cause uplift damage well beyond the funnel itself.
Why Roofs Rarely Fail During the Storm Itself
Most roof failures connected to severe weather do not happen in the middle of the storm. They show up days or weeks later, after wind has loosened fasteners, hail has bruised a membrane, or water has found its way under flashing that looked fine from a distance. That delay is exactly why a post-storm inspection matters, even when nothing looks obviously wrong.
What Property Managers Should Do Now
If your building has been in the path of any of this summer’s storm systems, it is worth having the roof looked at, even without visible leaks. A trained eye can catch loosened edge metal, bruised membrane, or early seam separation before the next round of weather finds it first.
👉 Contact Jewett Roofing to schedule a post-storm roof inspection across Missouri or Illinois.
The Bottom Line
Severe storm season in the Midwest does not follow a strict calendar, and this summer has been a good reminder of that. Staying ahead of repeated storm exposure, rather than waiting for an obvious leak, is one of the most effective ways to protect a commercial roof for the rest of the season.
