Hurricane prep
Getting your roof ready for hurricane season
Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and in South Louisiana the roof is what decides how the rest of the house comes through. The work to protect it has to happen before a storm is on the map, not after. Here is how to get the most important part of your home ready.
Why the roof comes first
When homeowners prepare for a storm, they think about windows, water, and generators, and all of that matters. But the roof is the part that fails first and costs the most when it does. Once the wind gets under the deck and lifts it, everything the storm carries pours into the house, and the damage runs from the attic down through the ceilings, floors, and walls. Harden the roof and you protect everything under it.
What to check before the season
A few checks tell you where your roof stands:
- The age of your roof. A roof past about 20 years is nearing the end of its life and is the most likely to fail in high wind.
- Loose, curling, or missing shingles, and any soft or sagging spots in the roofline.
- The flashing and edges, where wind and water tend to work in first.
- The attic after heavy rain, for stains or drips that mean the deck is already letting water through.
- Dated photos of the roof in good condition, so you have a record if you ever file a claim.
- Your policy's wind or hurricane deductible, so you know what a claim would actually cost you.
The strongest move: build to the standard before the storm
Checking and patching buys time, but the durable answer is a roof built to the FORTIFIED standard: a sealed, enhanced-nailed deck with reinforced edges that is inspected and certified to hold in hurricane wind. It is the difference between hoping the roof holds and knowing it was built to. And because it earns a mandated insurance discount, a state tax credit, and a possible grant, it is the rare storm-prep step that pays you back. If you are weighing it, whether it is worth it walks through the math.
Do not wait for the storm in the Gulf
Timing is the part homeowners get wrong. Once a system is in the Gulf, contractors are booked solid and there is no time to build anything. And if you are going for a Fortify Homes grant, the rules are strict: no work can start before you are selected and cleared, or you lose eligibility. Both point to the same plan, which is to do this in the calm part of the year, well ahead of the season, with a certified contractor lined up.
By Louisiana Fortified HomesUpdated
Get your roof ready before the next storm.
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