July 13, 2026
Jonesboro Knows What a Serious Storm Looks Like
March 28, 2020. That’s the date most Jonesboro residents and business owners don’t have to think hard to remember. An EF3 tornado tracked through the city that evening, causing severe damage to the Mall at Turtle Creek, injuring multiple people, and leaving a trail of damage across a commercial and residential corridor that the city is still working to rebuild and repurpose years later. The former mall site sold in 2025 for $4.85 million with open-air mixed-use redevelopment underway — a transformation that started as storm damage and became an opportunity, but not without years of difficult work in between.
That 2020 tornado wasn’t a once-in-a-generation event for northeast Arkansas. It was a stark reminder of what this part of the country already knows: Jonesboro sits in the Mid-South’s active severe weather corridor. Spring tornado watches are part of the seasonal calendar here. Hail events come through with enough frequency that commercial property owners have developed a kind of weather awareness that their counterparts in other parts of the country don’t share. Commercial Roofing Rana serves Jonesboro and the northeast Arkansas region, and storm damage commercial roof repair is one of the most common and time-sensitive things they handle in this market.
Before the Storm — What Proactive Preparation Actually Looks Like
Know the Current Condition of Your Roof Before a Storm Event
A commercial property owner who doesn’t know the current condition of their roofing system is in a difficult position after a storm. When an insurance adjuster asks whether visible damage is pre-existing or storm-caused, the property owner who has a recent professional inspection on file — with thermal imaging documentation of the roof’s condition before the storm — is in a completely different position than one who can’t answer that question. Getting a professional commercial roof inspection done before storm season is the single most useful thing a Jonesboro commercial property owner can do.
Have a Contractor Relationship Established
After a significant storm event in Jonesboro, commercial roofing contractors book up quickly. Storm-chasing operations — contractors who travel into markets after major weather events — fill the gaps, and the results are often poor. Having an established relationship with Commercial Roofing Rana before a storm means you have a contractor to call who knows your building, knows the local market, and is accountable in the long term.
Understand Your Commercial Property Insurance Coverage
Commercial property insurance policies vary significantly in how they handle roofing damage. Understanding what your policy covers before you need to use it puts you in a better position to make decisions quickly after a storm event. Commercial Roofing Rana’s inspection and documentation process is designed to support insurance claims effectively.
Immediately After a Storm Event in Jonesboro
Don’t Wait to Get a Professional Inspection
The instinct after a storm is to visually assess the roof from the ground and assume things are okay if nothing is immediately visible. This is the wrong approach for commercial flat roofs. The most consequential storm damage — hail impact that compromises the membrane without immediately breaching it, seam separations at perimeter edges, subsurface moisture from water intrusion through imperfections — doesn’t show up in a ground-level visual assessment. Contact Commercial Roofing Rana promptly after any significant weather event.
Document Everything You Can See
Before any cleanup or temporary repairs begin, photograph and video document whatever storm-related damage is visible. This visual documentation supplements the professional inspection report and supports the timeline of your insurance claim.
Implement Temporary Protection if Necessary
If your building has active water intrusion through storm damage, temporary protection may be necessary before permanent repairs can be designed and executed. Most commercial property insurance policies require you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage after an event. Commercial Roofing Rana can provide emergency temporary protection as part of their storm response service.
The Insurance Claim Process — How Commercial Roofing Rana Supports It
The professional inspection report — including thermal imaging data, photographic documentation, and a professional assessment of the damage scope — is the document your insurance claim is built on. Insurance adjusters will conduct their own inspection after a claim is filed. Having a professional inspection report from Commercial Roofing Rana in hand when the adjuster arrives gives you documentation to reference and a professional assessment to support your claim scope. The thermal imaging inspection matters most here — it identifies moisture intrusion and membrane compromise that an adjuster conducting a visual inspection would not find.
Why the Contractor You Choose After a Storm Matters More Than You’d Think
After a significant storm event in Jonesboro, commercial property owners face a contractor selection decision under pressure. Prioritize certification and accountability — a contractor with established local accountability is the right choice regardless of which price comes in lower. Prioritize diagnostic capability — thermal imaging inspection is not optional after a storm. Prioritize insurance claim experience — a contractor who has navigated commercial insurance claims understands how to structure documentation that supports claims. And prioritize installation quality — storm damage repairs done with inferior materials will fail at the first subsequent weather test.
Commercial Roofing Rana serves Jonesboro and northeast Arkansas as part of their established Mid-South footprint. Free storm damage inspections are available for commercial properties throughout Craighead County. After a significant weather event, contact their team promptly to get on the inspection schedule.