Hurricane Isaias Roof Damage: Photos From Our Crew in the Florida Panhandle

Isaias made landfall near Destin on the night of Friday, October 9, as a Category 2 hurricane, and the National Weather Service measured gusts above 100 mph from Gulf Breeze to Milton. Our crews started inspecting the next morning. What follows is a walk through the damage they've photographed so far, grouped by type, because the type of damage tells you more about what the roof needs than how dramatic the picture looks.

If you want to see where the strongest winds actually hit, start with our Hurricane Isaias wind map.

Shingles stripped down to the underlayment

This is what sustained hurricane gusts do once they get under a row of shingles. The wind lifts one tab, the next one loses its anchor, and the damage runs across the roof in long strips. What's left is the underlayment, the thin layer between the shingles and the wood decking.

Underlayment is a backup water barrier. It is not designed to be the roof, and it starts breaking down once it's exposed to sun, wind and rain. A roof that looks like this needs a tarp or a temporary dry-in right away, and it almost always needs more than a patch once the decking is checked.

Edges and ridges peeled open

Wind attacks a roof at its edges first: the ridge at the top, the eaves at the bottom and the rakes on the gable ends. That's where the uplift is strongest, and it's where we're finding most of the failures that start small and turn into big ones.

Once an edge goes, the wind has a handle. Fascia, drip edge and the first few courses of shingles come off together, and the next storm peels back more. Damage like this isn't a shingle repair. It needs the edge rebuilt and the opening closed the same day.

Shingles in the yard and the driveway

Every shingle on the ground came from somewhere on a roof, and on a breezy coastal street it isn't always yours. Before you clean up, look up. If you can see lighter spots, a jagged line along the ridge or bare wood, the shingles in your yard are probably your own.

Take photos of the debris where it fell, and a few wide shots of each side of the house. They help any inspector, and they help with an insurance claim if you decide to file one. Our guide to the Isaias insurance help center in Destin covers what else to document.

The damage you can miss from the street

This is the photo we'd show anyone who says their roof "looks okay." A handful of shingles missing near the ridge is easy to overlook from the ground, and it's exactly where water gets in during the next heavy rain.

Harder still are the shingles that lifted during the storm and fell back into place. When a tab gets bent back by 100 mph gusts it often creases across the middle, and the seal that holds it down breaks. From the ground it looks normal. On the roof you can see the crease, and the next strong wind takes it off. The only way to find this is to get on the roof and check by hand, which is what a free roof inspection is for.

Apartments, condos and townhomes

Large multifamily roofs took a beating in Isaias. Long, uninterrupted roof lines give the wind a lot of surface to work on, and a single failure point can run the length of a building. If you rent, report leaks to your landlord or property manager in writing, with photos. If you own a condo or townhome, check your association documents. The association's master policy often covers the roof, but not always, and the answer decides who calls the roofer.

For property managers and HOA boards, our commercial roofing team handles multi-building inspections with a separate photo report for each building.

Branches and trees on the roof

Pines came down all over the Panhandle. A branch on the roof can punch through shingles and decking, crack shingles in a line where it hit, and tear off gutters on the way down. Don't climb up to pull it off yourself, especially while the roof is wet. If a whole tree is on the house, call a tree service and a roofer together, and stay out of the rooms below it.

What to check on your own roof (from the ground)

• Walk all four sides of the house and look for lighter patches, bare wood or jagged lines on the roof.
• Look along the ridge, the eaves and the gable edges. That's where wind damage usually starts.
• Check the yard, gutters and downspouts for shingle pieces and piles of granules.
• Look for bent flashing, loose vents and pulled soffit or fascia.
• Go into the attic with a flashlight and look for daylight, wet insulation or fresh stains.
• Check ceilings inside, especially near exterior walls and under valleys.
• Photograph everything before it gets moved or fixed.

If you find any of it, get the open areas covered first. Our storm damage repair crews handle emergency tarping and permanent repairs, and every visit comes with dated photos you keep.

Hurricane Isaias roof damage: frequently asked questions