© Craig CunninghamTrees blocked the road and knocked down power lines along Cantley Drive in Fort Hill after Monday evening's storm ripped through the area. Six large trees fell across the road, knocking down power lines.
While homeowners were busy with cleanup, insurance agents began assessing damage so repairs could begin.
Jill Bentz, president of the West Virginia Insurance Foundation - which represents several property and casualty insurers in the area - said it's still too early to estimate how much property damage was sustained in Monday's storm.
"Companies are just overwhelmed with the volume and they just need some extra time to respond responsibly and accurately to their customers' claims," she said.
"We just can't estimate the damage sustained right now."
But the damage does seem to be concentrated within the valley.
"Mostly what we've seen is trees are down because of wind," she said. "A lot of the claims we've received today have been isolated to the St. Albans-Charleston area, and some have been slightly north of Charleston."
Grady Ford was one of those claims.
The 26-year-old Cantley Drive resident was waiting on his Erie Insurance agent to show up Tuesday afternoon.
The Cantley Drive area was especially hard hit.
The wind blew the floorboards off Ford's deck, took off the top of his chimney, tore his gutters off his house and snapped a power pole in his driveway.
"It was crazy," he said. "There was wind like I've not seen before.
"Half the trees that are up in the area have been uprooted - these are big oak trees that have just been blown over."
One of those landed in his back yard. But that was fortunate compared to what some of his neighbors received.
"Several of my neighbors have trees on top of their houses and they were getting flooded last night," he said.
Ford had contacted his agent Monday night, but was waiting for a visit from the adjuster Tuesday afternoon.
"He said he felt like he was drinking out of a fire hose this morning just because of the number of claims coming in."
Along with insurance adjusters, tree removal crews were out in force once the winds died down Monday night.
American Tree Experts of Alum Creek was called to a pair of homes on St. Francis Place in Fort Hill Tuesday, where they were removing three trees that had been uprooted.
"This is the third place we've been to today," worker Joe Hess said.
He and his crew, including owner Roger Larck, were removing a tree that had crushed part of a home's roof.
"We'd been to Tornado and South Charleston," he said, surveying the damage. "This is minor compared to those jobs."
As homeowners begin the repair process, Bentz cautioned that they should make sure to follow a few simple steps.
"Policy holders should begin process by contacting their agent," she said, particularly if they are looking for someone to conduct roof repairs.
In addition to making sure that all repairs are covered under an insurance policy, the agent can help direct customers to a reputable roof repair contractor.
"You need to look for an established, licensed or bonded roofer and ask to see certificate of insurance to see that liability and workers compensation insurance is covered on there," she said.
"And insist on very detailed written estimates."
She also said that some policies might cover goods lost due to power outages.
"Sometimes a homeowners policy will cover frozen and refrigerated items spoiled during a power or mechanical failure caused by a covered loss," Bentz said.
She said policyholders would need to check with their agents for the specifics of their individual plans.
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