Storm-damaged Long Island roof being tarped for an insurance claim

Alec's Construction handles hurricane and storm damage in Islip, Suffolk County — fallen trees, flooding and water damage, roofs and siding torn open, the cleanup and the rebuild — as one job from the first tarp to the finished repair, working out of the yard in East Patchogue. If the roof is open, a tree is on the house or there is water inside, call or text (631) 312-7441 rather than fill in the form, and tell us what you are looking at.

What a Hurricane Does in Islip

The hamlet of Islip sits on the Great South Bay between Champlin Creek and Orowoc Creek, and both creeks are surge routes: water comes up them on a southeast wind and over the low streets between Montauk Highway and the bay. The stock along the water is a mix of large older houses on big lots — wide roofs, deep eaves, mature trees — and post-war capes and ranches on the side streets, and the two fail differently in a hurricane. The big houses lose roofing and take limbs; the capes take water into crawl spaces and the slab additions that were put on their backs in the 1970s and 80s. Islip also has a lot of houses on private drives shaded by very large old oaks, and the tree on the house is the call we get most from here.

Surge From the Bay

On this part of the South Shore the water is the storm. A south or southeast wind pushes the Great South Bay up every creek and over every bulkhead at once, and the streets south of Montauk Highway take it into crawl spaces, slab additions and first floors built at grade. It is salt water, and salt water is a different cleanup from rain: everything electrical it touched is replaced rather than dried, the sheetrock and insulation below the water line come out, and the framing is dried with equipment and metered before it is closed. It is also a separate claim — a flood policy, not the homeowners policy — and we scope it separately from the wind damage on the same house.

What We Handle After a Storm

  • Fallen or damaged trees — the tree on the roof, the limb through the porch, the leaner against the wall. Structural check first, then removal in the right order, then the repair.
  • Flooding and water damage — surge, rain that came in through the roof, the basement that filled. Wet material out, real drying equipment in, moisture measured before anything is closed.
  • Interior and exterior storm damage — roofing, siding, windows, soffits, gutters, ceilings, walls, floors and insulation.
  • Storm cleanup and debris removal — cut, haul and clear, so the repair crew can get to the house.
  • Repairs to damaged areas — from a tarp on the first day to the finished rebuild, one crew, one scope, one point of contact.

The Order of Work

  • Make it safe. Nobody goes under a tree on a roof or into a room with a sagging ceiling until it has been looked at. Downed lines are the utility's, and they get called first.
  • Photograph everything as found. Before a limb is cut or a wet carpet is pulled. This is what both claims rest on.
  • Stop the water. Tarp the roof, board the openings, pump and pull the wet material that will grow mould if it stays.
  • Dry and document. Drying equipment in, moisture readings taken and kept.
  • Write the scope line by line with the photographs attached, storm damage kept separate from wear, wind damage kept separate from flood damage.
  • Rebuild to the agreed scope, and correct what let the storm in so it does not repeat.
Long Island waterfront street after a coastal storm

Homeowners Policy, Flood Policy and the Hurricane Deductible

Wind damage, and the rain that came in through it, is a homeowners claim. A tree on the house is a homeowners claim, and most policies pay something toward removing that tree, up to a limit that varies by policy. Water that rose — from the bay, a canal, a creek or a river — is a flood claim under a separate flood policy, whether National Flood Insurance Program or private, and the homeowners policy generally excludes it. Many coastal New York policies also carry a hurricane deductible that is a percentage of the dwelling coverage rather than a flat figure, and it applies when a named hurricane triggers it. We do not adjust claims; we document and scope the damage so the adjuster sees what the storm did, and we tell you which of the three buckets each item belongs in before you file.

Building Department in Islip

Islip files with the Town of Islip, whose published permit guidance treats finish work differently from anything touching water, gas or electric. Emergency repairs to make the house safe and dry do not wait for a permit. The permanent repair that follows — structural work, re-roofing, electrical — is permitted work like any other, and we file it once the scope is agreed.

Free walkthrough in Islip. Call or text (631) 312-7441.

By the job in Islip: Tree Removal · Flood Cleanup · Storm Debris · Storm Roof & Siding

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Town of Islip need a permit for emergency storm repairs?

Not for the emergency part. Tarping a roof, boarding an opening, shoring a structure, pulling out wet material and drying the house are done to make the house safe and they do not wait. The permanent repair that follows — structural work, re-roofing, electrical, anything that changes the building — is permitted work with the Town of Islip like any other job, and we file it once the scope is agreed with the carrier.

How do I avoid storm chasers?

Ask for a local address and a local phone number, ask how long they have worked on Long Island, and do not sign anything at the door — not an assignment of benefits, not a deposit. Out-of-state crews arrive after every hurricane and leave before the roof leaks again. We are on Barton Avenue in East Patchogue and have worked Suffolk County since 2018.

Does homeowners insurance cover flooding from a hurricane?

Generally not. Water that rose from the bay, a canal, a creek or the ground is flood damage, covered by a separate flood policy — National Flood Insurance Program or private — and excluded from the homeowners policy. Rain that came in through wind damage to the roof or siding is a homeowners claim. Many bay-front houses have both after a hurricane, and we scope the two separately.

Do I need a permit for storm repairs?

Not for the emergency work. Tarping, boarding, shoring, pumping and drying make the house safe and do not wait for a permit. The permanent repair — structural work, re-roofing, electrical, anything that changes the building — is permitted work like any other job, and we file it once the scope is agreed with the carrier.

Related Guides

Also Serving Islip

Work With Alec's Construction

This guide is written by the crew that does the work. See Alec's Hurricane & Storm Damage Repair service — fallen trees, flooding, roof and siding damage, cleanup and the rebuild. One crew start to finish, free walkthrough and a written estimate inside 48 hours.

Booking the cold months now: we also handle Roofing and Storm Damage & Insurance Restoration.

Get a Free Estimate from Alec's Construction

Working across Suffolk County since 2018, one crew from start to finish. We come out, look at the actual job, and put a written number in your hand — no pressure, no obligation.

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