Hurricane Season Roof Prep

The work that matters happens before the season, not when the cone appears.

Last updated 2026-09-16

Atlantic hurricane season runs 1 June to 30 November, and the useful preparation happens in May. Once a storm is named, every roofer in Houston is booked and the supply houses are cleared out.

Before the season: the things that actually matter

1. Get the roof inspected. Wind finds what is already loose. Lifted ridge caps, broken seal strips and unsecured flashing are what turn a storm into a claim. Ours is free.
2. Secure the ridge and hip caps. First thing off in high wind, and visible from the ground once gone.
3. Check the flashing and the drip edge. Wind gets under the edge of a roof system and peels it. A lifted drip edge is an invitation.
4. Consider replacing turbines. Spinning turbine vents are among the first things to leave a Houston roof in a hurricane, and they leave an open hole above your attic. Low-profile vents or ridge vent have nothing to catch the wind.
5. Trim branches back off the roof plane. The cheapest single thing on this list. Limbs over the roof are impact damage waiting for wind.
6. Clear the gutters and the valleys, and check the downspouts discharge clear of the house. A hurricane brings rainfall volume before it brings wind.
7. Photograph your roof and your house, inside and out. Dated photographs of undamaged condition are the single most useful thing you can have if you end up in a claim, and almost nobody does it.
8. Find your policy and read two numbers: your wind and hail deductible, and whether it is a flat amount or a percentage of the dwelling limit. Know it before you need it.

Forty eight hours out

• Bring in or secure anything that can become a projectile. Patio furniture, planters, bins, loose timber, trampolines.
• Clear the gutters again if there has been leaf fall.
• Photograph the property one more time, with the date visible.
• Charge everything, and put your policy number and your carrier's claims number somewhere that does not need power or signal.
• Do not get on the roof. Whatever you were going to fix, it is too late and it is not worth it.

The day after

1. Stay off the roof. More people are hurt on roofs after storms than during them.
2. Photograph everything from the ground before you move any debris, including what landed in your yard.
3. Stop water getting in. Tarping first, repairs later. What a proper tarp looks like.
4. Photograph interior damage before drying or cleaning anything.
5. Keep every receipt for tarps, fans, dehumidifiers and accommodation. Reasonable mitigation costs are generally recoverable.
6. Call your own carrier.
7. Do not sign anything a door knocker hands you. Why.

Common Questions

Should I replace my turbine vents before hurricane season?

They are among the first things to leave a Houston roof in high wind, and they leave an open hole above your attic when they go. Low-profile vents or ridge vent have nothing for the wind to catch.

Is it worth tarping before a storm arrives?

No. A tarp in high wind becomes a sail and can take shingles with it. Tarping is what you do after, to stop water while you arrange the repair.

Does my policy cover hurricane damage?

Wind damage and flood are separate things covered differently, and wind and hail deductibles on Texas policies are frequently a percentage of the dwelling limit. Read both before the season rather than during a claim.

Read Next

• Storm Damage Repair
• Emergency Tarping
• Insurance Claim Help
• Tree Damage and Your Roof