Your Ultimate Guide: How to Prepare Your Roof for Hurricane Season in Greater New Orleans
Preparing your roof for hurricane season in Greater New Orleans involves a three-step process: performing a safe visual inspection from the ground, securing your yard and surrounding areas to prevent projectile damage, and scheduling a professional roof inspection to identify and fix vulnerabilities before a storm hits.
Introduction: More Than Just a Date on the Calendar
For homeowners across Greater New Orleans, from the Westbank to the Northshore, June 1st isn’t just the start of summer—it’s the official kickoff of hurricane season. We all know the drill: stocking up on water and batteries, tracking the spaghetti models, and hoping for the best. But while we’re preparing for what might happen inside our homes, the most critical preparation we can do starts right overhead.
Your roof is your home’s first and most important line of defense against hurricane-force winds and the biblical amounts of rain that come with them. A small, overlooked issue like a loose shingle or a cracked seal today can become a catastrophic failure during a storm, leading to devastating water damage, a brutal recovery process, and complex insurance claims.
As a locally owned and operated roofing company serving the Gulf South since 2012, Priority Roofing has seen firsthand what a prepared roof can withstand. This guide will walk you through a practical, step-by-step process to inspect, secure, and prepare your roof, giving you the peace of mind you deserve before the next storm forms in the Gulf.
Key Takeaways
- Start with a Safe Ground Inspection: You can spot many potential problems like missing shingles, clogged gutters, and hail “bruising” from the ground with binoculars—no ladder required.
- Your Yard is a Threat: The biggest danger to a healthy roof is flying debris. Trimming overhanging trees and securing outdoor items are non-negotiable steps.
- A Professional Inspection is Crucial: A trained roofer can identify subtle weaknesses in flashing, decking, and fasteners that are invisible to the untrained eye but can cause major leaks during a storm.
- Act Before a Storm is Named: The best time to get your roof checked and repaired is now. Once a storm watch is issued, roofing contractors are overwhelmed, and it’s too late for preventative measures.
Why Proactive Roof Preparation is Non-Negotiable in the Gulf South
We’ve all seen the endless fields of blue tarps that appear after a major storm like Ida or Katrina. Those images are a stark reminder of the destructive power of these weather events. Proactive roof preparation isn’t about paranoia; it’s about protecting your family, your belongings, and your single largest financial investment.
Here in New Orleans, our roofs are in a constant battle. It’s not just the threat of a hurricane. It’s the year-round combination of punishing sun, relentless humidity, and sudden downpours that weakens roofing materials over time. An asphalt shingle in Metairie faces a much tougher life than one in a drier, milder climate. This constant environmental stress creates vulnerabilities that a hurricane will eagerly exploit.
Then there’s the insurance angle. After a storm, the last thing you want is a battle with your insurance company. Many policies require homeowners to perform reasonable maintenance to keep their property in good condition. Having a documented pre-season roof inspection from a reputable roofing contractor can be an invaluable piece of evidence if you need to file a claim, proving that the damage was caused by the storm and not by pre-existing neglect.
The 3-Step Hurricane Prep Checklist for Your New Orleans Roof
Follow these actionable steps to get your roof ready for whatever the season throws at it.
Step 1: The Safe DIY Visual Inspection (What You Can See from the Ground)
First things first: stay off your roof. You can accomplish this crucial first step safely from the ground. Grab a pair of binoculars and walk the perimeter of your home.
Your Ground-Level Checklist:
- Scan for Obvious Damage: Look for any shingles that are cracked, curled, lifting up, or completely missing. Pay close attention to the hips and ridges of the roof, as these areas take a beating from the wind. These are clear signs you need a new roof or at least significant repairs.
- Check for “Bruising”: Look for dark, circular spots on your asphalt shingles. This is often damage from hail, which knocks off the protective granules and compromises the shingle’s integrity, making it susceptible to leaks.
- Inspect Gutters & Downspouts: Are your gutters sagging or full of leaves and debris? Clogged gutters cause rainwater to back up and seep under the edge of your roof, potentially rotting the underlying decking. Also, check the ground below your downspouts for an excessive amount of shingle granules—it looks like coarse black sand. Losing granules is a sign your shingles are aging and losing their protective layer.
- Look for Algae or Moss: Those dark streaks you see on many roofs in our area are a type of algae called Gloeocapsa magma. While mostly a cosmetic issue, heavy growth can trap moisture against the shingles, accelerating their decay over time.
Step 2: Secure Your Yard & Roof Surroundings
During a hurricane, even a well-maintained roof can be punctured or damaged by flying debris. Your yard can become a supply depot for dangerous projectiles.
Your Debris-Prevention Checklist:
- Trim Overhanging Trees: Prune any tree branches that are dead, weak, or hanging directly over your roofline. In high winds, these branches can snap and fall, causing significant structural damage, or simply scrape against your shingles, wearing them down.
- Secure Loose Items: Make a plan now for where you will store patio furniture, grills, trampolines, potted plants, and garden tools. Don’t wait until an evacuation order is given. Anything that isn’t bolted down can become a missile aimed at your or your neighbor’s roof.
- Check Vents & Attic Turbines: Look at the various vents and turbines on your roof. Do any of them appear loose or wobbly? Ensure they are securely fastened so they don’t get ripped off by high winds, creating a direct opening for water to pour into your attic.
Step 3: Schedule a Professional Pre-Season Inspection
A DIY inspection is a fantastic start, but a trained eye can spot subtle signs of weakness that are invisible to the average homeowner. This is where true prevention happens. A professional New Orleans roofing contractor isn’t just looking for obvious damage; they’re looking for the hidden vulnerabilities that cause catastrophic failures.
| Feature Assessed | DIY Ground Check (What you can see) | Professional Inspection (What an expert sees) |
|---|---|---|
| Shingles | Missing, curled, or cracked shingles. | Subtle hail “bruising,” granule loss, improper nailing patterns, compromised sealant strips. |
| Flashing | Obvious rust or large gaps. | Cracked caulking, failing seals around chimneys/vents, improper installation that allows for water intrusion. |
| Decking | Not visible from the ground. | Soft spots on the roof, signs of moisture, rot, or delamination from inside the attic. |
| Ventilation | Vents appear to be in place. | Blocked intake/exhaust vents, signs of poor airflow causing heat/moisture buildup that cooks shingles from below. |
| Gutters | Clogged with leaves and debris. | Improper slope, loose fasteners, signs that water is backing up behind the fascia board. |
An expert from Priority Roofing will get on the roof and in the attic to perform a comprehensive assessment, including:
- Flashing & Seals: Checking the metal strips and seals around chimneys, vents, and skylights. This is where most storm-related leaks begin, and ensuring roof flashing is properly installed is critical.
- Underlying Decking: Looking for soft spots underfoot or signs of water intrusion from inside the attic, which indicate a slow leak has already begun.
- Fastener Integrity: Ensuring shingles are properly nailed down to meet the wind-uplift standards required for our coastal region.
- Attic Ventilation: Confirming your attic has proper roof ventilation is key to fighting the New Orleans humidity and extending the life of your entire roofing system.
Why a Local, Experienced Roofer is Your Best Ally
When preparing for a hurricane in Greater New Orleans, you don’t want a general handyman or an out-of-state “storm chaser” who rolls into town after a disaster. You need a local specialist who understands the unique challenges of building and maintaining a roof in the Gulf South.
- Unmatched Local Knowledge: Since 2012, Priority Roofing has focused exclusively on residential and commercial roofs right here in the Gulf South. We know how to build a roof that can withstand both a Category 3 hurricane and the year-round humidity that wants to tear it apart. We understand the specific building codes and material requirements for our area.
- Proven Experience: With over 50 years of combined construction experience and thousands of local projects completed, our team has seen it all. From historic homes in the Garden District to new constructions in Mandeville, we know what works and what doesn’t in our unique climate.
- Trust & Accountability: As a locally owned and operated company founded by Sean Killeen, our reputation in the community is everything. We’re your neighbors. We shop at the same stores and our kids go to the same schools. We’ll be here long after the storm passes to stand by our work.
Don’t Wait for the Warning: Your Next Steps
The absolute worst time to find out you have a roof problem is when the wind is howling and water is dripping onto your ceiling. The worst time to try and find a roofer is after a storm watch has been issued—our phones ring off the hook, and it’s simply too late for preventative work.
The best time to act is now, during the relative calm before the season truly ramps up. You can calmly assess your roof’s condition and make any necessary repairs without the pressure of an approaching storm.
Protect your home and your peace of mind. Contact Priority Roofing today to schedule your free, no-obligation pre-hurricane season inspection. Our experts will provide a detailed assessment of your roof’s condition and a clear, honest plan to ensure it’s ready for whatever the season brings.
Have questions about your roof’s age or condition? Call our New Orleans office at (504) 294-5592 to speak with one of our experienced roofing specialists.
About Priority Roofing
Since 2012, Priority Roofing, founded by Sean Killeen, has been the Greater New Orleans area’s trusted source for durable, high-quality roofing solutions. We live here, we work here, and we are dedicated to protecting the homes and businesses in our community with results that stand the test of time and weather.