A storm damage claim runs in a predictable order, and knowing it in advance is most of what separates a smooth claim from a frustrating one.
It starts with documentation, before the call to your insurer. You want dated photos of the damage, the storm date itself, and ideally a contractor inspection report. What you do not want is to file first and go looking for evidence afterward.
Next comes the adjuster visit. Ask your contractor to be there. Not to argue, but because a roofer on the roof with the adjuster can point out the test squares, the bruised shingles, and the dented vent caps that are easy to miss from a ladder at the eave. Most disagreements we see are about what got looked at, not about the policy.
Then the scope arrives, and it is a document worth reading carefully. It lists what the insurer agreed to pay for, line by line. If ice-and-water shield, drip edge, or ventilation is required by current code but missing from the scope, that is a conversation to have then, not after the tear-off.
Payment usually comes in two parts: an initial check for the actual cash value, and the recoverable depreciation released after the work is complete and invoiced. Your deductible is yours to pay. Any contractor offering to waive it or absorb it is describing insurance fraud, and it is a reliable sign to keep looking.
A note on honesty: we tell homeowners not to file when the damage does not warrant it. A denied claim still goes on your record, and a claim filed on a roof that simply wore out will not go anywhere. If your roof is at end of life rather than storm damaged, replacing it out of pocket on your own timeline is usually the better path.