The 2024 hurricane season is already off to a strong start, with Hurricane Beryl making landfall in coastal Texas and causing $6 billion worth of damage overnight. Already projected to be a highly active season, recent estimates suggest that 2024 will be even more active than previously thought, with as many as six major hurricanes being projected to impact the Gulf and Atlantic coasts this summer and fall.
While Florida is no stranger to hurricanes, the sheer number of potential impacts to coastal communities is enough to make anyone nervous. The best tactic when dealing with the weather is an aggressive defense, which means making your home as hurricane-proof as possible in the months leading up to the season’s peak.
Your roof is your first line of defense and the biggest victim of a major weather event, making it a significant priority for hurricane-proofing your home. With a simple 1-2-3 combination of maintenance, fortification, and assessment, you can help prevent lasting damage and ensure your home weathers the next major storm.
I. Regular Maintenance and Emergency Preparations
Even before hurricane season starts, you should proactively prepare your home for a big storm. 100-mile-per-hour winds and falling debris can damage your roof if you are not prepared.
At the start of each hurricane season, we highly recommend that you reach out to an experienced roofing professional to inspect your roof to determine if any minor and easy repairs can be made before the big one hits. Individual tile replacement, the plugging of minor leaks, and ensuring your drains have been cleaned and cleared can make a significant difference once the rain starts coming down and the wind starts blowing.
One often overlooked aspect of preventative maintenance is ensuring that the trees on your property are well-trimmed and inspected. Damage from last year’s hurricane season and age can lead to large branches flying into your home or the entire tree becoming uprooted and smashing into the buildings on your property.
II. Assessment and Fortification
During the height of the hurricane season, performing regular assessments of your home will help minimize any damage during upcoming storms. Keeping a close eye out for any signs of leaks or damaged portions of your roof will help prevent the damage from spreading further and causing far more costly repairs down the road.
After a storm, it can pay to climb up on your roof or hire a professional to check it for damaged or missing tiles and shingles. Even if you’ve fortified your roof, flying debris and hurricane-force winds can cause localized damage, which presents a weak spot in your home’s defenses that can cause problems later on.
Your roof likely has some breaks in it to make room for vents and chimneys, which represent a significant weak point in the structure’s defenses unless sealed adequately with flashing. Professional roofers can examine the flashing for any significant cracks or damage that can cause water damage during periods of heavy rain.
By maintaining an active defense, you can weather out the busy 2024 hurricane season with minimal damage to your property. A&E Roofing can help shore up your home’s defenses by providing you with the maintenance, fortifications, and assessment capabilities you need to stop hurricane damage in its tracks.