Talk to an Expert (504) 226-7070
Talk to an Expert (504) 226-7070
Water is coming through the ceiling and the storm has not fully passed. What you do in the next few hours decides whether this is a roof repair or a roof repair plus drywall, insulation, flooring and a mold problem.
New Orleans homeowners deal with this every hurricane season. The sequence below is what actually helps, in the order it helps.
After a storm passes, conduct a ground-level inspection before touching anything. Look for missing or lifted shingles, granule accumulation in gutters, failed flashing around chimneys and roof penetrations, and water stains on interior ceilings.
Walk the full perimeter of your property in daylight once conditions are safe. Never access a compromised roof surface. Use binoculars to examine roof valleys, ridges, and eave edges, since those transition zones sustain the heaviest wind uplift and hail impact stress.
Inside, check the attic decking and ceiling planes for water staining, saturated insulation, or visible daylight through the roof deck. Mold colonization can begin within 24 to 48 hours of uncontrolled moisture intrusion, making early detection a structural priority.
For hail damage roof repair, look for impact bruising on asphalt shingles, cracked clay or concrete tiles, and dented metal flashing or vent collars. Excessive granule loss in gutters signals that hail stripped the mineral surface layer from your shingles, reducing their remaining service life significantly.
Move what you can and contain the water. Buckets under the drip, furniture out from under it, electronics unplugged and away.
If the ceiling is bulging, pierce it. A small hole at the low point of the bulge lets trapped water drain into a bucket. Left alone, that pocket of water brings the whole section of ceiling down at once.
Kill power to affected rooms if water is anywhere near fixtures or outlets.
Photograph everything before you clean up. This is the evidence your claim runs on. Wide shots that show the room, close shots that show the damage, and the time stamp intact.
Do not go on the roof in the wind or the rain. Nothing up there is worth it, and slate and tile roofs common on older New Orleans homes are lethal when wet.
Homeowners can safely apply a heavy-duty polyethylene tarp over exposed roof sections from the ground or a stable extension ladder, but walking on a storm-damaged roof surface is a serious safety hazard. Fasten the tarp with weighted 2×4 lumber boards, never roofing nails, which puncture the underlayment and create new water entry points.
Emergency roof tarping costs between $200 and $800 for most residential properties, depending on the area of exposed roof deck. This temporary dry-in method provides structural protection for 30 to 90 days while a licensed roofing contractor completes a full damage assessment and schedules permanent repairs.
Walking across a tarped roof section after storm damage is dangerous. Hidden deterioration of the roof decking beneath creates a fall-through risk not visible from the surface. A post-storm roof inspection by a certified roofing professional should always follow temporary weatherproofing to document structural damage and produce written evidence for your insurance adjuster.
The priority sequence for post-storm roof repair is: confirm personal safety, document all visible damage with timestamped photos and video, apply a temporary tarp to stop water infiltration, contact a licensed roofing contractor for a storm damage assessment, and report the damage to your insurance carrier as soon as possible. Each step directly protects your property and claim outcome.
Work through this sequence as quickly as conditions allow:
Stay indoors until the storm has fully passed.Responding the same day significantly lowers total repair scope. A minor shingle displacement can escalate into a compromised roof deck within 48 hours without intervention. If active leaking, sagging, or visible roof deck exposure is present, contact emergency roof repair services immediately.
File your storm damage claim as soon as possible after discovering the damage. Document everything with photos before any repair work begins, save receipts for all temporary weatherproofing, and get a contractor inspection before the adjuster arrives.
Most standard policies allow 30 days to one year to file, but earlier reporting always produces stronger outcomes. Be present during the adjuster visit and walk them through every damaged component, including gutters, flashing, soffit boards, and interior moisture evidence.
The roof insurance claim process is where most homeowners lose settlement value. A contractor experienced in insurance restoration documents damage in the field language adjusters require, and that directly determines your payout.
After a named storm, every roofer in the metro is fielding calls at once. That reality shapes what you should expect and what you should do.
Temporary protection comes first, for everybody. A proper tarp, correctly fastened, buys weeks. Full repairs across the parishes get scheduled behind the emergency work, and that is the right order even when it is not the order you want.
Power outages slow everything. After Ida, parts of the metro were dark for an extended stretch. Crews work daylight hours, and materials suppliers are dealing with the same outage you are.
The crews that answer first are not always the ones to hire. Storm chasers are fastest because responding is all they do. Ask for the Louisiana license number before you let anyone on the roof, and ask what else they have running in the parish this month.
Document before the tarp goes on. Once the roof is covered, the adjuster sees a tarp. Photographs taken before it went up are what the claim rests on.
Contact a licensed roofing contractor immediately when your roof shows active water infiltration, displaced shingles, sagging sections, exposed roof deck, or any indication of structural compromise. Delaying post-storm roof repair accelerates rot progression, mold colonization, and interior damage that multiplies total restoration costs.
Partial Replacement Costs: Partial roof replacements addressing 25% to 75% of the surface run between $3,000 and $8,000, depending on roofing material and affected sections.We handle emergency roof protection and repair across the New Orleans metro during and after hurricane season.
New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, Slidell, Covington, Mandeville, Gretna, Harahan, LaPlace, River Ridge, St. Rose, Madisonville, Hammond and Baton Rouge. Louisiana Residential License #890459. Commercial License #3667.
Call (504) 226-7070.
Most standard homeowner’s insurance policies allow 30 days to one year from the date of loss to file a storm damage claim, but requirements vary by insurer and state. Report the damage to your carrier as soon as possible after discovering it. Earlier documentation consistently produces stronger claim outcomes and reduces the risk of a carrier attributing damage to pre-existing wear. Always verify your policy’s specific notice requirements.
Temporary tarping can be applied in light rain to halt active water infiltration and protect the roof deck from additional moisture damage. Permanent repairs require dry surface conditions because shingle adhesion, flashing sealant, and roofing cement all cure improperly on wet substrates, voiding manufacturer material warranties.
A properly installed heavy-duty polyethylene roof tarp provides weatherproofing for 30 to 90 days depending on UV exposure, wind loading, and installation quality. It is a temporary protective measure, not a permanent repair. Permanent restoration should be scheduled as soon as a licensed contractor completes a full damage assessment.
Storm damage confined to less than 25% of the roof surface with intact structural components is typically resolved through targeted repairs. Roofing systems over 15 to 20 years old, or those with damage across more than 75% of the surface, are better suited for full replacement than extensive patching.
Most standard homeowner’s insurance policies cover sudden wind and hail damage to residential roofing systems, subject to applicable deductibles. Carriers may dispute claims when pre-existing deterioration is present. A licensed contractor’s written inspection report attributing damage to the storm event significantly strengthens the claim and reduces denial risk.
Do not attempt to remove the fallen tree yourself. If structural compromise is visible, evacuate the affected area immediately. Contact your homeowner’s insurance carrier to open a claim, then call a licensed roofing contractor for emergency stabilization and debris removal before additional precipitation causes further roof deck damage.
Photograph the damage, then call both. The insurer starts the claim clock. The roofer stops further damage. After a major storm both are working through a backlog, so earlier is better.
We prioritize emergency calls across our service area. Call (504) 226-7070 and we will tell you honestly where you sit in the queue.
Kill the breaker to any room where water is near fixtures or outlets, move what you can, and contain the water. Do not use candles near wet ceilings. After a major storm, outages across the metro can run for days, so plan for the leak to be managed rather than fixed immediately.
By Admin 
Mar 30, 2026 
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