Do this first
What to do right now
- Walk the yard and the neighbours fence line and collect the shingles or panels that came off. Photograph them where they landed first: that is dated evidence of a wind event.
- Photograph the roof from every side from ground level, and zoom in. Look for missing tabs, dark patches where granules are gone, lifted edges, and displaced ridge or hip caps.
- Check the attic in daylight with the lights off. Pinholes of daylight, damp sheathing or wet insulation tell you the underlayment is breached even if the field looks fine.
- Get anything open dried in before the next rain. Exposed decking in Pensacola humidity does not stay sound for long.
- Note the date and time of the storm and, if you can, save a screenshot of the local wind report or warning. Carriers ask.
- Do not let anyone lift, bend or "test" shingles on your roof for a photo: that damage is theirs, not the storm, and it can taint the whole claim.
Creased and unsealed shingles: the damage you cannot see
Asphalt shingles rely on a heat-activated sealant strip that bonds each course to the one below. A strong gust can break that bond and fold the tab back on itself without tearing it off. When the wind drops, the shingle lies back down and the roof looks untouched from the ground, but the seal is gone and the crease is a fracture line. That roof now lifts in every subsequent storm and leaks well before the end of its rated life. In Pensacola this is by far the most commonly missed finding after a wind event, and it is why a close-up inspection matters more than a glance from the driveway.
Florida builds for wind, and inspects for it
The Florida Building Code sets design wind speeds that are among the most demanding in the country, and much of coastal Florida sits inside the wind-borne debris region, where openings and roof assemblies face additional requirements. Practically, this affects your repair: fastening patterns, nailing schedules, secondary water barriers and permitting for roof work are not the same here as in inland states, and a contractor who does not work in Florida routinely will get them wrong. It also affects your premium, a current wind mitigation inspection documenting features like a hip roof shape, a sealed roof deck, or reinforced roof-to-wall connections can qualify you for insurance credits.
Metal panels, tiles and the details that fail first
Different roofs fail differently. On exposed-fastener metal, wind backs out or shears screws along the panel edges and the panel begins to oil-can and lift; on standing seam, the failure is usually at the clip or the ridge. On tile, wind lifts and cracks individual tiles and the real damage is to the underlayment beneath, which is the actual waterproofing layer. Across all roof types the first things to go in Pensacola are the edges: drip edge, rake, ridge and hip, and any flashing at a wall or chimney.
Documenting a wind claim properly
Wind claims are won or lost on documentation. Date the event, keep the debris, photograph in wide and close, and get a written inspection report that identifies damage by slope and by type rather than a one-line estimate. Verify any contractor in the Florida licensee search at myfloridalicense.com before you sign, confirm they will pull the required permit, and read anything mentioning assignment of benefits carefully. Also check your policy for how roof losses are settled, some Florida policies apply depreciation or a roof surface schedule to older roofs, and confirm the current claim notice deadline directly with your carrier, since Florida law on that has changed more than once.
