What Florence taught Cape Fear roofs
Early on 14 September 2018, Hurricane Florence made landfall just south of Wrightsville Beach as a Category 1 storm. It was not the strongest hurricane on record, and that is the lesson. A Category 1 system that moved slowly brought hours of wind, then days of rain, to a region that includes Wilmington, with 115,451 people in 2020, and its metro area across New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties.
Long exposure finds weak spots that a short blast of wind misses. Lifted edges, failed sealant and tired flashing do not need a major hurricane to let water in. They need time, and a slow storm provides plenty of it.
A check you can do from the ground
You do not need a ladder, and you should not use one if the roof is wet or steep. A pair of binoculars and ten minutes on a dry, calm morning will tell you a lot.
Look at the ridge line first. It should run straight, with no dips, and the cap shingles should lie flat. Next look at the edges, where wind gets underneath: any shingle that curls, lifts or sits proud of its neighbours is worth noting. Scan for missing pieces, bare patches or a scatter of granules in the gutters, which look like coarse dark sand.
Check every penetration you can see, meaning the plumbing vents, the chimney, the skylights and the bathroom fans. These are where most leaks begin. Rubber collars around pipes crack in the sun, and metal flashing can pull loose from a wall. Finally, look at the trees. A limb that overhangs the roof is a risk in any gust.
Inside the house and the attic
If you can get into the attic safely, take a flashlight on a dry day. Look for dark stains on the underside of the roof deck, rusty nail tips, damp insulation or daylight where there should be none. Smell matters too: a musty odour often points to a slow leak that has been going on a while.
Take dated photos of anything you find. Those photos are useful later, both for a roofer who needs to see what you saw and for your insurer, who will want to know what condition the roof was in before any storm.
Small jobs that matter before June
Clear the gutters and downspouts so water leaves the roof instead of backing up under the edge. Trim branches back from the roofline. Replace cracked pipe collars and re-seal exposed fasteners, since these are cheap repairs compared with a ceiling. Secure anything in the yard that could become a projectile.
Larger decisions, such as how old the roof is and whether it should be replaced, deserve a written inspection by a qualified roofer rather than a guess. Ask what they checked and what they did not.
After the storm: the first two days
Safety comes first. Stay away from downed power lines, and do not climb onto a roof that is wet or damaged. Walk the property and look for obvious damage from the ground, and take photographs before anyone moves anything.
If water is entering the house, a temporary tarp is the standard way to limit the harm, and it is usually best handled by a professional. Keep receipts for emergency materials. Then contact your insurance company, write down the claim number, and ask what they need from you.
Be careful about door knockers who appear after a storm. Check any contractor's licence and local references yourself, never pay everything up front, and do not sign anything you have not read. For questions about your coverage, deductibles and deadlines, your insurer and the North Carolina Department of Insurance are the right places to ask, not a salesperson.
Who covers the area north of Wilmington
Pender County is spread out, and a crew that works mostly downtown can be a long drive from a job in the north of the county. When you ask for quotes, ask where the crew is based and how quickly they can tarp a roof after a storm, since every day of delay matters.
North of the city, in Rocky Point, Hampstead and Topsail, Howard Roofing and Construction handles storm repairs.
A one-page summary
Look at the ridge, the edges and the penetrations with binoculars. Check the attic on a dry day. Clear the gutters and trim the limbs. Take dated photos of everything. Have a written inspection done if the roof is older than you would like. After a storm, put safety first, stop the water, call your insurer and be wary of anyone who needs a decision today. None of it is complicated, and all of it is easier in August than in the middle of a named storm.