Long Island waterfront street after a coastal storm

Alec's Construction handles hurricane and storm damage in West 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 West Islip

West Islip is canal country. South of Montauk Highway the hamlet is a grid of canals off Babylon Cove and the Great South Bay, lined with 1950s and 60s capes and ranches that were built at grade a few feet above the water, and a surge fills every canal and every one of those crawl spaces and slab rooms at the same time. It was among the hardest-hit places in Suffolk in 2012, and a lot of the rebuilds since were done in a hurry: new sheetrock on studs that were never fully dried, insulation put back into wet floors, electrical spliced rather than replaced. A second storm shows all of it. The rest of the West Islip job is wind on the bay-facing roofs and the tall old trees on the north side of Montauk Highway coming down across the ranches.

Canal Houses: Water Below, Wind Above

The canal grids here are 1950s and 60s capes and ranches built at grade a few feet above the water, and a surge fills every canal and every one of those crawl spaces, dens and garages at the same time. A lot of them were rebuilt quickly after 2012, and a second wetting finds the walls that were closed before the framing was dry. The houses that were elevated afterward take the storm differently: the surge goes under them and the damage moves up to the siding, windows and roof edge on the exposed face, and to the enclosure and stairs below. Water damage is the flood claim; wind damage is the homeowners claim; both get their own scope.

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.
Fallen tree on a Long Island cape with the roof being tarped after a 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 West Islip

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Our West Islip house was rebuilt after Sandy. Why did it get mould after a smaller storm?

Because the first rebuild closed the walls before the framing was dry, or put insulation back into a floor that was still wet, and the moisture has been in there since. A second wetting — even a minor one — is enough to bring it out. The repair this time is to open the wet assemblies fully, dry them to a measured moisture content rather than to the touch, and close them only when the numbers say so. We take moisture readings before anything is closed and give them to you.

What should I do first after storm damage?

Stay away from anything that could still fail — a tree on the roof, a sagging ceiling, a downed line, water near electrical — and call the utility for lines and gas. Photograph everything as it is before anyone moves a branch or pulls a carpet. Then call us. We tarp and board the same day where we can reach you, and the photographs are what your claim rests on.

Can you tarp my roof the same day?

Where we can reach you safely and the roof can be walked, yes — that is what the first visit is for. A tarp is a temporary measure to stop the water while the damage is documented and the permanent repair is scoped. Where a tree is on the roof, the tree comes off first, in the right order, and the tarp goes on after.

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.

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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.

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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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