Fallen tree on a Long Island cape with the roof being tarped after a storm

Alec's Construction handles hurricane and storm damage in Smithtown, 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 Smithtown

Smithtown is a North Shore town of hills, hollows and very big trees. The Nissequogue River runs up through the middle of it to Smithtown Bay on Long Island Sound, and a hurricane from the northeast pushes Sound water up the river and its marshes, but the residential damage in Smithtown is overwhelmingly trees: the town's 1960s–70s colonials and splits sit under mature oaks and tulip trees that come down whole in saturated ground when the wind turns after the eye passes. The hilly streets around the river and along the ridge north of Route 25 take the wind hardest, and the long service drops through the trees mean Smithtown is dark for days after a storm that barely touches the South Shore. Roofs here take limbs and whole crowns, not just lifted shingles.

Mature Oaks Over Two-Storey Roofs

The damage here is the trees. The colonials, splits and ranches went in during the 1960s and 70s under oaks and tulip trees that were saplings or saved trees at the time and are now standing directly over two-storey roofs. When the ground is saturated and the wind turns after the eye passes they come down whole — a crown across the ridge, a trunk through the garage, a limb the size of a tree through the second-floor ceiling — and across the overhead service drops that run through them, which is why these hamlets stay dark for days. A whole tree on a roof is a structural event, and the order in which it comes off decides whether the roof survives the removal.

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.
Emergency tarp over a damaged roof section on a Long Island house

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 Smithtown

Smithtown files with the Town of Smithtown. 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 Smithtown. Call or text (631) 312-7441.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

A whole oak came down across our Smithtown house. What happens first?

First, nobody goes in until we have looked at what the tree is resting on. A large oak on a roof can be holding the roof up as much as crushing it, and cutting the wrong section first drops the load. We assess the structure, tarp what we can reach safely, and coordinate the tree removal so the roof is supported as the weight comes off. Then the structural repair — rafters, ridge, sometimes the wall — is documented and scoped for the claim before the rebuild.

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.

How long before mould starts?

Mould can begin on wet building material within a day or two, which is why the wet material comes out and the drying starts immediately rather than after the adjuster's visit. Emergency mitigation is expected under the policy; photographs of what was removed protect the claim. Drying is done with equipment and measured with meters, not judged by touch.

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.

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Also Serving Smithtown

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.

Or call (631) 312-7441

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