Get Your Roof Ready for Hurricane Season in Acadiana

Hurricane season in Louisiana is not a maybe. Every year between June and November, something is coming through Acadiana, and the only question is how bad. We have replaced enough roofs after Laura, Delta, and Ida to know that the homes that came through with the least damage were the ones that got ready before the first warning went out.

Here is what we tell every customer when they call asking what they should do before a storm.

Inspect your roof before the season starts

Most of the storm damage we see is not from a single nail flying off in 100 mph winds. It is from a roof that already had small issues going in. A lifted shingle, a cracked seal around a vent pipe, a soft spot near a valley. The storm finds whatever was already weak and rips it wide open.

Have somebody actually walk the roof before hurricane season starts. We do this for free across Lafayette, Opelousas, and the rest of Acadiana, and you get a written report with photos. You do not have to use us. You just need someone qualified putting eyes on it.

Things to look for:

• Curled, cracked, or missing shingles
• Loose or rusted flashing around the chimney, vents, and skylights
• Pipe boots that are cracked or have pulled away
• Granules from the shingles building up in your gutters (means the shingles are wearing out)
• Soft spots when walking on the deck
• Daylight visible from inside the attic

Clean out your gutters and downspouts

Clogged gutters during a hurricane mean water backs up under the shingles instead of running off. That is how attics flood from the top down even when the roof itself looks fine.

Pull the leaves out before the season starts. If you have not had your gutters checked in a few years, get a real look at the brackets too. Gutters loaded with debris and standing water are the first things to rip off a house in a 70 mph gust.

Trim back trees near the roof

Limbs that hang over the roof are the single biggest cause of puncture damage we see after a storm. A limb does not have to fall on your house to do damage either. Wind whips the branches against the shingles for hours and grinds them down to bare deck.

Anything within six feet of the roof needs to come back. If you have big oaks or pines close to the house, it is worth getting a tree service out before storm season, not after.

Take photos of your roof now

This is the one most people skip and regret later. If you ever have to file an insurance claim, the carrier is going to ask for proof of the roof's condition before the storm. Without that, they will argue every dent and missing shingle was pre-existing wear.

Walk around your house with your phone and take photos of:

• All four sides of the roof from the ground
• Close-ups of the shingles, chimney, vents, and flashing
• Inside the attic, especially around the ridgeline and any penetrations
• The gutters and fascia

Save them somewhere off your phone too. Email them to yourself or stick them in a cloud folder.

Know your roof's age and your insurance situation

Most insurance carriers in Louisiana have tightened up on older roofs the last few years. If yours is over 15 years old, you may already be on borrowed time with your policy. We have seen carriers drop homeowners after a storm because the roof was past the carrier's age limit at renewal.

Two things to check now:

• How old is your roof? If you do not know, your closing documents or the previous owner should have it.
• What does your policy say about roof replacement cost vs. actual cash value? ACV means the carrier pays out depreciated value, which on a 20-year-old roof is almost nothing.

If you are not sure, call your agent and ask. Better to know in May than in September.

Consider a FORTIFIED roof if you are replacing anyway

If your roof is at the end of its life and you are going to replace it before next season, ask about FORTIFIED. It is a certification program built specifically for hurricane and high-wind areas. Sealed roof deck, ring-shank nails, properly fastened drip edge, the whole system designed to stay attached when the wind hits.

Most Louisiana carriers give a meaningful discount for FORTIFIED roofs, and some require it for new policies in coastal parishes now. We do FORTIFIED installs across Acadiana and can walk you through whether it makes sense for your situation.

If a storm is coming

A few last things in the 48 hours before landfall:

• Bring in or tie down anything in the yard that can become a projectile. Trash cans, patio furniture, grills, kids' toys.
• Park vehicles away from trees if you can.
• Do not climb on the roof to "check" anything in the wind. We have heard stories.
• Make sure your phone has the carrier's claim number saved and your policy number written down somewhere not on the phone.

After the storm

If your roof takes damage, do not wait. Two reasons.

First, every hour of rain after a damaged roof is more interior damage piling up. Carriers will not pay for damage that "could have been prevented" with reasonable mitigation. That is why we do emergency tarping 24/7. A tarp is not a fix, but it stops the bleeding while you sort out the claim.

Second, the contractors who chase storms into Louisiana from out of state will be in your neighborhood within hours of the storm passing. Some are fine. Most are not. They are gone three months later and so is your money. Use someone local who is going to be here in five years when something goes wrong.

We have been working roofs across Acadiana since 2019 and we are not going anywhere. If you need an inspection before the season, or you take damage after, give us a call at (337) 901-7663. We answer 24/7 during storm season.