Hurricane roof damage on a Florida home rarely looks like a hole. It shows up as missing or lifted shingles, slipped or cracked tile, exposed underlayment, torn fascia and soffit, and dark stains on the ceiling inside. Wind lifts the edges and corners first, then rain gets in wherever the wind opened a path.
What the damage looks like
Lifted and lost shingles
Wind does not push down on a roof, it pulls up. Uplift is highest at the rakes, the eaves, the ridge and the corners, so those lose shingles first. Look for bare patches of underlayment, tabs folded back on themselves, and shingles in the yard. A shingle still in place with a gap under its lower edge has lost its seal.
Slipped and cracked tile
Tile is heavy enough to stay put in wind that strips shingles, so the damage is usually slippage. Look for tiles sitting lower than their neighbors, tiles out of line, and hip or ridge caps that have moved. Flying debris cracks tile without moving it, and a cracked tile still looks like a roof from the street while the underlayment below takes the rain.
Exposed underlayment
Underlayment is the water barrier under the shingles or tile. Once exposed, it breaks down fast in the sun and tears in the next gust. Any visible patch is an active problem.
Fascia and soffit
Wind gets under the overhang and pushes soffit panels out from below, which is why you find them in the yard while the roof looks fine. Missing soffit lets wind driven rain straight into the attic.
Where water gets in
Water rarely enters where the stain appears. It comes in at a lifted edge, a moved piece of flashing, a cracked pipe boot or a shifted ridge cap, then runs along the deck or down a rafter before it drops. Check around chimneys, skylights, vents, and anywhere two roof planes meet.
Damage you cannot see from the ground
- Broken shingle seals. Each course is glued to the one below by a factory strip. Wind can break that bond without moving the shingle, and it lifts freely in the next storm.
- Torn underlayment under intact covering. It only shows once a section is lifted.
- Moved flashing. A fraction of an inch can open a channel that leaks only in driving rain.
- Loosened deck nails. Sustained uplift works nails partway out. The deck holds, but weaker.
- Soaked decking. Plywood under a lifted edge dries slowly and turns into rot and soft spots months later.
A roofer walking the roof, lifting shingles and checking the attic is how this damage gets found and photographed while it is still clearly storm damage.
What to photograph
Shoot more than you think you need, before anything is cleaned up or covered.
- All four sides of the house, wide, with the roof and the ground below it in one frame.
- Close shots of every visible failure: missing shingles, slipped tile, exposed underlayment, hanging gutter, missing soffit. Zoom with your feet where it is safe, never by climbing.
- Debris where it fell, before you haul it off.
- Every stain inside, from two distances, in every room, closets included.
- The attic: daylight through the deck, wet insulation, water tracks on the rafters.
- Before and after any tarp.
- One slow video lap around the house.
Keep your phone's date and location stamps on, keep the original files, and back them up off the phone the same day. Stay off the roof.
Why the first 24 to 48 hours matter
This is not a legal deadline, it is an evidence one. Florida often gets more rain after a hurricane passes, and every rain through the same opening blurs what the storm did and what came after. Photos taken the day after landfall answer that question. Photos taken a month later invite an argument.
Damage also compounds. An open roof edge on day one becomes soaked decking, ruined insulation and stained drywall by week two. And after a big storm every roofer is booked, so getting on the schedule early matters.
Tarping
Photograph the damage first, then get the leak covered. A proper tarp fastened by a roofer, not a plastic sheet held down with bricks. Move belongings out from under drips, and keep every receipt for the tarp and anything you bought to protect the house. A tarp buys time, it is not the fix: it breaks down in sun and wind, and the permanent repair should follow. For an active leak, call or text 352-605-2527; see roof repair. Damage from Hurricane Isaias in the Panhandle: see our Isaias storm response.
The deadlines Florida law sets
Open the claim with your insurer and give the date the hurricane made landfall as the date of loss. Florida Statutes 627.70132 and 627.70131 set these limits:
- Notice of an initial or reopened claim: within 1 year of the date of loss
- Notice of a supplemental claim: within 18 months of the date of loss
- The insurer acknowledges your communication: within 7 calendar days
- The insurer begins its investigation: within 7 days of receiving proof of loss statements
- The insurer pays or denies the claim: within 60 days of notice of the claim
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation can extend the 60 days by up to 30 more, for a listed reason such as a state of emergency.
Have your policy number, the address, the date of loss, a short factual description and your photos ready when you call. Write down the claim number, the adjuster's name and the date of every call. Whether your policy covers the damage is a question for your insurance company.
Where a roofer fits
A roofer is not a public adjuster and does not negotiate your claim. What we do: inspect the whole roof and the attic, photograph what we find, and write an itemized estimate of the work. When the work goes ahead, we pull the permit and close it out.
After a named storm, out of town crews knock on doors with paperwork that signs your insurance claim over to them. Florida no longer allows that on policies written since 2023, so treat it as a red flag, and look up any contractor's license at myfloridalicense.com before you sign anything. Ours is CCC1337501.
Once this season is behind you, the hurricane season roof prep guide covers the work that makes the next storm a smaller event.
How long do I have to report a hurricane claim in Florida?
Florida law bars a claim unless you give your insurer notice within 1 year of the date of loss, and a supplemental claim within 18 months. For a hurricane, the date of loss is the date the storm made landfall, not the day you noticed the damage.
Should I get on my roof to check for damage?
No. Wet shingles, hidden soft spots and exposed fasteners make a storm damaged roof dangerous. Photograph from the ground and from the attic, and let a roofer walk the roof.
Can a hurricane damage my roof if no shingles are missing?
Yes, and it is common. Wind can break the seal between shingle courses without moving the shingle, tear underlayment under intact covering, and shift flashing a fraction of an inch. The roof looks fine from the street and leaks on the next rain.
Will insurance pay for my roof?
Whether your policy covers it is a question for your insurance company. We write an itemized estimate of the work.
The service: Roof repair