By Paul Dashevsky As winter storms and severe weather tear through communities, a second and far less visible crisis is unfolding. Homeowners rushing to repair roof damage, flooding, burst pipes, and structural issues are being targeted by contractor scams that are leaving families tens of thousands of dollars in debt and homes unfinished. This is not hypothetical. It is happening right now and at scale. Recent investigations show that storm related contractor fraud is accelerating nationwide. In one state level case alone, more than 40 homeowners were defrauded out of nearly $5 million after contractors collected large upfront payments and abandoned projects mid repair. Federal Trade Commission data shows more than…