BRUSLY - Tuesday's hail storm was unprecedented. It's something Louisiana has not seen before - hail as big as your palm in some areas.

Vicky Gaudet described the clatter as "explosions going off."

"It was loud, I never have seen this before," Vicky Gaudet said.

After a storm, south Louisiana residents are used to contractors gravitating toward the damage looking for work. Following the hail storm, roofing companies swarmed hard-hit areas in West Baton Rouge Parish. At least a dozen roofing companies were spotted by the 2 On Your Side crew Tuesday, other companies had posted signs at intersections offering their business.

Apex Construction and Roofing stopped by Gaudet's house Tuesday morning to take a look at her house and offer a free assessment. Owners Canon Cockrell and Jordan Arroyo were taking a look at the damage with their crew.

"Pretty much every roof that we've got on, unless it's a brand new roof, is pretty much destroyed," Cockrell said.

With all the contractor activity in the area, it's important to do research prior to selecting a roofing company to make repairs.

"Do your homework, please look everybody up and make sure they're certified," Arroyo said.

Certified with credentials, which include a license, insurance, and workers comp. It also helps if the company is local.

Cypress Roofing surveyed damage in a neighborhood that's about a year old. Alex Carmouche says their team will climb up on a roof and draw circles around the problem areas, then show the homeowner who can decide if they'd like to file a claim with their insurance company.

"We're first looking for indentation in the shingles, the hail will make such an impact that it will actually take the granuals off of the shingles and expose the matting underneath the shingles," Carmouche said.

Homeowners are encouraged to take photos and do a full assessment of their property.

"You can claim anything that was affected by the storm, whether that be your windows, your garage door, stucco, siding, fence," Carmouche said.

It's important to ask questions. Checking to see if a company is licensed on the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors website.