Hurricanes, Wind & Storm Damage

Yes — a pre-season inspection is one of the most useful things a Southwest Florida property owner can do, for two reasons. First, it finds and fixes the small vulnerabilities that wind exploits: cracked or loose tiles, corroded vents, lifted flashings, debris-dammed valleys. A roof going into hurricane season with those corrected is measurably better positioned than the same roof with them ignored. Second, it creates dated photo documentation of the roof's pre-storm condition. If a storm later damages the roof, that before-and-after record makes the situation clear to everyone involved. The practical window is late spring, before the June start of hurricane season, though any documented inspection beats none. Pair it with simple owner steps: photograph the roof and property, keep inspection reports and receipts together, and clear loose items from the yard when a storm approaches.

If the storm opened the roof — missing tiles or shingles, displaced ridge caps, punctures, or active leaking — yes, temporary protection matters, because the rain that follows a storm typically does more interior damage than the wind did. That said, tarping is dangerous amateur work: wet, damaged roofs after a storm are exactly where serious falls happen, and a poorly secured tarp becomes wind-borne debris. Have tarping done by a roofing contractor where possible; a properly installed tarp is fastened so wind cannot work it loose and lapped so water sheds over it. Photograph all damage before it is covered — dated photos of the damage are important records. A tarp is a bridge, not a repair: follow it with a documented inspection and a permanent, permitted repair scope. Craft Roofing provides emergency tarping and post-storm inspections throughout Naples and Southwest Florida: call or text 239-241-9900.