Macomb County Storm Damage April 15, 2026: Roof Leak & Wind Response for Clinton Township, Sterling Heights, Mt Clemens, Shelby, Utica, New Haven

Debris pickup in Macomb County is handled at the municipal level, not by the county, so the answer depends on where you live. Clinton Township, Sterling Heights, and Shelby Township typically announce special brush and limb pickups through their public-works departments within a few days of a major wind event. Utica, Mount Clemens, and the smaller cities tend to piggyback on their regular yard-waste route with expanded volume allowances. Check your city or township website for the specific drop-dates before dragging anything to the curb, and keep tree debris separate from construction debris from your own roof or siding — they go in different streams.

Most Macomb condo and HOA master policies cover the building envelope (roof, exterior walls, common framing) while your individual unit-owner HO-6 policy covers interior finishes, personal property, and loss-of-use. That means a leaking condo roof is almost always a two-claim situation: the association opens a master-policy claim on the roof itself, and you open an HO-6 claim on the damaged ceiling, flooring, and contents inside your unit. Get in touch with your property manager the same day you discover the leak, and start your own documentation regardless of what the association is doing.

Rising water from the Clinton River, Red Run Drain, or any other surface-water source is not covered by a standard Michigan homeowners policy. That kind of loss falls under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or a private flood policy, and both have to be purchased separately and in advance — typically with a 30-day waiting period before coverage starts. Wind-driven rain pushed through a damaged roof or a broken window is usually a homeowners peril, not a flood peril. The cause-of-loss distinction matters and your adjuster will ask about it.

Condo and HOA roof repair timelines in Sterling Heights after a major wind event generally run longer than individual homeowner calls, because the association has to route the loss through its property management company, open a master-policy claim, wait on an insurance adjuster assignment, and usually collect at least one contractor bid before authorizing work. Two to four weeks before a permanent repair starts is not unusual on a multi-building complex, and emergency tarping is often the only thing that happens in the first 72 hours. As a unit owner you can help move things along by reporting the leak to the property manager in writing the same day, photographing every affected interior surface for your own HO-6 claim, and keeping any moisture-damaged items in place until your own adjuster has seen them. The master-policy claim on the roof and your unit-owner claim on the interior run on completely separate tracks and separate deductibles.

From a carrier standpoint the coding matters less than homeowners expect. Wind damage from a confirmed tornado, a straight-line downburst, or a severe thunderstorm gust is usually handled under the same wind peril in a Michigan homeowners policy. What you want to avoid is guessing about the cause on your claim call — describe what you saw and heard, let the adjuster and the National Weather Service determine the classification, and let the damage speak for itself in the photos.

Sewer and drain backup is a separate endorsement on most Michigan homeowners policies, not a default coverage. If you added a sewer backup rider when you bought or renewed the policy, you likely have some limit for cleanup and damaged contents — commonly $5,000 to $25,000 depending on what you elected. If you never added the endorsement, the backup itself will generally be excluded even when the underlying storm is a covered event. Check your declarations page for the specific wording.

During a widespread event like the April 15, 2026 line, dispatch windows are driven by call volume and by how many crews are already committed to prior losses. The Macomb branch at (586) 207-9091 handles the Clinton Township, Sterling Heights, Mount Clemens, Shelby, Utica, and Macomb Township service area; the Bloomfield HQ at (248) 531-8404 covers overflow and the Oakland County side. Both lines are staffed around the clock and the dispatcher will give you a realistic window rather than an optimistic one.

Temporary tarping is reasonable for a ground-level or single-story slope in dry conditions if you have a helper, a real ladder, and no active lightning. Anything steeper than a 6/12 pitch, anything two stories up, anything wet, and anything on a commercial flat roof should wait for a crew. A fall from a residential roof is the most common serious injury we see in the 24 hours after a major Macomb County storm, and the tarp itself is almost never worth the risk.