How Do You Prepare Your Roof for a Hurricane in North Carolina?

Get the roof ready in the spring, before the Atlantic hurricane season opens on June 1. The season runs through November 30, and the storms that matter most to North Carolina have arrived from late summer into fall: Fran on September 5, 1996, Florence on September 14, 2018, Matthew in early October 2016 and Hazel on October 15, 1954.

Spring timing matters for a practical reason. Once a storm shows up on the forecast cone, every roofer, tree crew and supply house in eastern North Carolina is booked. A loose ridge cap that would take an hour to fix in April can sit open through a storm in September because nobody can get to it.

According to NOAA's state climate summary, a storm at hurricane intensity reaches North Carolina about once every three years, and weaker tropical storms still cause major flooding and wind damage. Coastal homes take the strongest wind and salt spray, but Triangle, Sandhills and Triad homes see falling trees, long power outages and wind-driven rain from the same storms. Treat roof readiness as a yearly task, the same way you service the HVAC system, rather than something to do when a watch is posted.

A useful pre-storm inspection looks at the places wind attacks first: the eaves and rakes, the ridge, and anything that pierces the roof. Wind pressure is highest at edges and corners, so a few loose pieces there can start a peel that takes a whole slope.

Ask the inspector to check and report on:

• Edge metal and starter course. Drip edge should be tight, and the first course of shingles should be sealed down along the eaves and rakes.
• Shingle seal strips. On asphalt roofs, tabs that lift easily by hand have lost their bond and are likely to blow off.
• Ridge and hip caps. Caps are exposed on both sides and are a common first loss.
• Flashing. Chimney, wall and valley flashing should be fastened and sealed, with no gaps.
• Penetrations. Pipe boots crack in the sun; vents and skylights should be secure.
• Attic. Daylight at the deck, water stains or rusty nail tips point to leaks that a storm will make worse.

Get the findings in writing with photos. If you later file a claim, a dated inspection showing the roof was sound before the storm helps separate storm damage from old wear. Our roof replacement page explains what happens if the inspection shows the roof is near the end of its life.

One caution on who does the inspection. Pick a roofer you would hire anyway, with a local address and references, rather than someone who knocks on the door offering a quick look. The article on how to vet a roofer in NC lists what to ask.

The repairs that pay off most are the small ones that stop wind and water from getting a start: re-securing edges, replacing lifted or missing shingles, and resealing flashing. They cost little next to the interior damage a single open seam can let in during hours of wind-driven rain.

Prioritize in this order:

• Replace missing or creased shingles and hand-seal lifted tabs with roofing cement.
• Re-nail and seal loose drip edge, rake trim and ridge caps.
• Replace cracked pipe boots and reseal around vents and skylights.
• Secure satellite dishes, antennas and solar racking, and seal their mounting holes.
• Clean gutters, downspouts and valleys so they can carry heavy rain; Matthew dropped 8 to 10 inches across much of the central and eastern Piedmont, according to the National Weather Service in Raleigh.

If the inspection finds widespread brittle shingles, soft decking or many prior patches, repairs may not hold. In that case it is usually better to plan a replacement for the off-season than to patch and hope. See signs you need a new roof for the warning signs.

Falling trees and limbs cause a large share of roof damage in North Carolina storms, especially inland. A roof can hold up to the wind and still be punctured by a pine or oak that the same wind brought down.

The record is clear on this. When Fran crossed the state in 1996, the National Weather Service in Wilmington reports that thousands of tall oaks fell in the Raleigh area, taking down power lines and houses, and nearly every road in Duplin and Sampson counties was blocked by trees. During Matthew in 2016, more than 1.6 million customers lost power, mostly because saturated soil let trees uproot. Raleigh-Durham airport measured a 79 mph gust during Fran, well inland.

Before the season, have a certified arborist look at trees within falling distance of the house. Dead limbs, trees leaning toward the roof and trees with root damage are the ones to address first. Keep branches trimmed back from the roof surface; limbs rubbing on shingles wear through them over time and turn into battering rams in high wind. Pine needles and leaves left in valleys and gutters also hold water against the roof, which is covered in our article on pine needles and roof debris.

Once a watch is issued, the work shifts from repair to protection: secure anything that can fly, stage supplies, document the house and stay off the roof itself. A watch is not the time to climb a ladder in gusty wind.

• Bring in or tie down patio furniture, grills, planters, trash cans and anything else that could hit the roof or windows.
• Close and secure shutters and garage doors; a failed garage door can let wind pressurize the house and push up on the roof from inside.
• Take fresh photos and video of the roof from the ground and of ceilings inside, then upload them somewhere that is not your phone.
• Put a tarp, roofing nails or cap nails, plastic sheeting and buckets in the garage.
• Find your policy number and your insurer's claim line, and note your named-storm deductible.

The North Carolina Department of Insurance explains that a named-storm deductible is a percentage of your dwelling coverage and applies from the time a named-storm advisory, watch or warning is issued for any part of the state. Knowing the dollar amount ahead of time tells you what you will pay before coverage begins. Our guide to roof insurance claims in NC covers what comes next.

Yes. Every roof needs the same edge, flashing and tree checks, but the weak points differ by material, and the type of roof you have shapes what a pre-storm inspection should focus on.

Asphalt shingles depend on seal strips and nails; older shingles lose their bond and become the most common wind loss. Exposed-fastener metal panels need screws and washers checked, since washers dry out in the sun. Concealed-fastener metal systems are checked mostly at the trim, ridge and flashing.

If your roof is due for replacement, doing it before storm season gives you a chance to choose a system rated for your location. Interlock aluminum roofing, sold and installed in North Carolina by Metal Roof NC as an authorized Interlock dealer, uses panels that lock to each other on all four sides with the fasteners concealed. Wind resistance is warranted to 120 mph when installed to manufacturer specification. Design wind speeds on parts of the coast are set by the North Carolina Residential Code, and the permit office for your town decides what a given house must meet. Our hurricane-resistant roofing page and the article on roof wind ratings explain how to compare systems.