Wind lift and shingle loss
Wind gets under the edge of a shingle, breaks the adhesive seal and either creases the tab or tears it away. Damage often starts at eaves, rakes and ridges, where wind pressure is highest.
Urgent? Call to reach a local roofer
Storm and Wind Damage to Warwick Roofs
Repair after wind, fallen limbs and coastal storms, through an independent local roofer reached with one call.
- Roof repair and full replacement
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Storm Damage
Storm and Wind Damage Roof Repair: what it covers
Quick answer
After wind or a coastal storm, a roofer checks for lifted or missing shingles, bent flashing, broken ridge caps and impact damage from branches. Warwick Roofing connects you with an independent local roofer serving Warwick and Kent County, who inspects, covers any opening and repairs the roof when one is free.
Hurricane Bob came ashore at Newport in 1991, and the sources behind this page record sustained winds of 100 mph at Providence with a gust of 125 mph, extensive roof damage and a storm surge of 12 to 15 feet in Narragansett Bay. Sandy in 2012 brought widespread roof damage across the state.
Those are the headline storms, but damage does not need a hurricane. It can come from smaller events: a nor'easter that blows for a day, a squall that drops a limb, a night of gusts that lifts a row of shingles at the ridge. The roof does not have to fail dramatically for water to find a way in.
The first job after a storm is to see what happened, from the ground, and to stop water getting in. The second is to get the repair right. A roofer can help with both, and Warwick Roofing puts you through to one who serves your part of the bay.
- Service area
- Warwick & Kent County
- Availability
- Call to reach a local roofer, emergencies first
- Phone
- (833) 751-2102
What should I do right after a storm damages my roof?
Make sure people are safe, stay off the roof, take photographs of everything from the ground, and call. If water is coming in, move belongings and catch drips. Describe the damage so a local roofer can plan the visit. Keep photos, since your insurer may ask for them.
Check for downed power lines before you go outside, and stay away from any limb that is tangled in wires. Call the utility, not a roofer, for that.
Inside, look at ceilings and the attic hatch if it is safe to do so. A dark patch or drip tells the roofer where to start.
Why are Warwick's bayfront villages hit harder?
Villages such as Conimicut, Oakland Beach and Warwick Neck sit on Narragansett Bay, so their roofs take open wind and salt spray from the water. Inland streets are sheltered by distance and trees, but face falling limbs. Both patterns matter when a roofer inspects after a storm.
Waterfront roofs see the wind first, and the first rows of shingles and the edge metal are where it starts to lift. That is the pattern a roofer looks for along the ridge and the eaves.
Inland, the damage is more likely to come from above. A mature tree on a wooded lot drops branches during gusts, and a heavy limb can break a shingle, crack decking or tear a vent.
Will insurance pay for storm roof damage?
That is your insurer's decision, based on your policy and the cause of the damage. Warwick Roofing and the roofer cannot promise a claim outcome. Photograph the damage, keep any written findings from the roofer, read your policy, and ask your insurer what it needs. See the page on insurance claim help.
Policies differ on wind, on named storms and on deductibles, and the terms are in your own paperwork. A roofer can describe what they see and what repair is needed, but cannot decide cover.
For more on how the paperwork usually runs, read insurance and storm claim roof help and the guide on hurricane and nor'easter roof damage.
What does a roofer check beyond the visible damage?
A roofer checks the rest of the roof for wind-loosened shingles, bent flashing, damaged vents and lifted ridge caps, then the attic for new moisture. Damage from one gust often continues along a slope. Looking only at the spot you saw can leave the next leak waiting for the next storm.
Wind rarely removes a single shingle in isolation. Neighbors along the same course may have lost their seal without any visible sign, and they are the ones that fail in the next blow.
Gutters and downspouts also take a beating, with limbs pulling brackets loose and leaves packing the outlets. A roofer who walks the whole perimeter can tell you what belongs to this repair and what is a separate gutter job.
Warning signs
Signs you need storm and wind damage roof repair
Stay off the roof and away from any limb, wire or debris that is touching it. Do not stand under overhanging branches or lean a ladder against a damaged roof edge. If water is coming in, protect belongings from the ground and call (833) 751-2102 to be put through to a local roofer.
- Shingles lying in the yard or caught in shrubs after a windy night
- Bare, tan or dark rectangles on the roof where shingles have blown off
- A creased or folded-over row of shingles along the ridge or an eave
- Bent, lifted or missing metal at the edge of the roof, called drip edge
- A tree limb, branch or large debris resting on the roof or against the house
- Dents or splits in vents, chimney caps and roof accessories
- New water stains on ceilings or walls after the storm passed
- Gutters pulled from the fascia or hanging at an angle
Our process
How our storm and wind damage roof repair visit works
Look from the ground, then call
Walk around the house and photograph what you can see. Do not climb up. Describe the damage to the call line, and say whether water is coming in.
Make the roof watertight first
If there is an opening, the roofer's first job is to cover it so more weather does not get in. That may be a temporary cover; see emergency roof tarping for how it works.
Inspect the full roof
The roofer checks the damaged area and the rest of the roof, since wind that lifts one shingle often loosens others, and looks at flashing, vents, gutters and the attic side of the deck.
Write up the repair
You get a description of what is damaged and what is needed. For an insurance claim, keep your photographs and any written findings. The decision on cover belongs to your insurer.
Complete the repair
Shingles, flashing and any damaged decking are replaced, and the roofer checks the work. For larger damage, the repair may be a section re-roof or roof replacement.
Options
Types and options for storm and wind damage roof repair
Impact damage from limbs and debris
Branches can crush shingles, puncture decking and tear flashing. Wooded lots in towns like Coventry and Smithfield see more of this. A limb that is still resting on the roof should be left for a professional.
Water entry through damaged flashing and edges
Wind-driven rain forces water into small gaps at walls, chimneys and edges. The roof can look fine from the ground while water enters at a bent piece of metal. See flashing repair.
Job stories
Typical jobs for storm and wind damage roof repair
Wind-lifted shingles after a nor'easter in Portsmouth
- What homeowners notice
- A strong nor'easter blows across Aquidneck Island, and in the morning a homeowner finds a patch of shingles missing from the side of the roof facing the bay, a ridge cap hanging loose and a wet stain starting on the ceiling below. Rain is still forecast for the next day.
- What we do
- The roofer, when free, tarps the exposed section to keep water out and photographs the damage before anything is removed. A repair visit follows: damaged shingles are replaced, the ridge cap is refastened and the flashing is checked for lifted edges.
- What to expect
- The homeowner keeps the dated photos and the roofer's written description of the damage, which can be given to an insurer, who alone decides what is covered under the policy.
Cost
How much does storm and wind damage roof repair cost in Warwick?
Storm repair is priced by how much of the roof was hit and how much water got in. No figure is given here, because no source lists a canonical Rhode Island price and because storm work varies from a few shingles to a section of roof.
| Job | Typical range | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary cover over an opening | Quoted by the roofer | Depends on the size of the area and how hard it is to reach |
| Shingle and flashing repair | Quoted after inspection | Priced by the amount of damaged roofing and the number of separate areas |
| Decking replacement | Added only if needed | Wet or broken boards under the damage are replaced and itemized |
| Larger section or full replacement | Quoted separately | Used when damage is spread or the roof is already worn |
Your roofer sets the price, and it is confirmed in writing on site before work starts.
Need storm and wind damage roof repair today?
Call any hour and explain what is going on. You get a clear price before any work starts.
Kent County
Why storm and wind damage roof repair is different in Narragansett Bay
Hurricane Bob in 1991 is the benchmark storm here: landfall at Newport, extensive roof damage, and the highest gusts recorded at Providence. Sandy in 2012 is the other that homeowners recall. Hurricane Carol in 1954 damaged the Stone Bridge at Tiverton, which gives a sense of how long Narragansett Bay has been exposed to major storms.
The March 2010 flooding on the Pawtuxet River, which crested at 15.2 feet on March 15 and 16 and 20.8 feet on March 31, swamped Warwick Mall and closed roads in West Warwick and Cranston. That was flood damage coming up from the ground, not damage to roofs, and it is a separate matter from the wind damage on this page.
Warwick's older housing, with a median build year of 1960, means many roofs have already been through some of these storms. Worn edges, aging flashing and old nails have less margin when the next storm arrives, which is one reason a roofer inspecting after wind will often comment on the age of the whole roof.
Related
Related services
Emergency Roof Tarping
A tarp is a temporary cover that keeps rain and snow out of an opened roof until a real repair can be done.
Roof Repair
Targeted repairs to valleys, dormers, shingles and roof edges, done by an independent local roofer reached through one call.
Insurance Storm Claim Roof Help
How to document wind and storm damage for your insurer, and how an independent roofer supports a claim with photos and a written estimate.
Roof Leak Repair
Tracing and fixing roof leaks in Warwick-area homes, through an independent local roofer you reach with one call.
Where we work
Storm and Wind Damage Roof Repair across Kent County
- Storm Damage in Warwick
- Storm Damage in Cranston
- Storm Damage in East Greenwich
- Storm Damage in West Warwick
- Storm Damage in Coventry
- Storm Damage in North Kingstown
- Storm Damage in Barrington
- Storm Damage in Bristol
- Storm Damage in Warren
- Storm Damage in East Providence
- Storm Damage in Providence
- Storm Damage in Johnston
- Storm Damage in North Providence
- Storm Damage in Pawtucket
- Storm Damage in Central Falls
- Storm Damage in Lincoln
- Storm Damage in Smithfield
- Storm Damage in Portsmouth
- Storm Damage in Middletown
- Storm Damage in Newport
- Storm Damage in Jamestown
- Storm Damage in Seekonk
- Storm Damage in Swansea
- Storm Damage in Somerset
- Storm Damage in Fall River
- Storm Damage in Tiverton
- Storm Damage in Rehoboth
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Guides
Read before you book
Hurricane and Nor'easter Roof Damage Around Narragansett Bay
Hurricane Bob in 1991 and Sandy in 2012 both left widespread roof damage across Rhode Island, and homes on the bay take the wind first.
FAQ
Storm and Wind Damage Roof Repair FAQs
Can I tell if my roof is damaged without going up?
Often yes. Look for shingles on the ground, missing sections, bent metal at the edge, or debris on the roof. Binoculars help. A roofer will still want to inspect up close, since some damage is hard to see from below.
How soon after a storm should I call?
Soon, particularly if water is getting in. The earlier you describe the damage, the sooner a roofer can plan to look. Scheduling happens when a roofer is free, and nobody can promise an arrival time.
Should I wait for the insurance adjuster before covering the roof?
Ask your insurer, but most policies expect you to prevent more damage. Photograph the roof first, keep receipts for temporary protection, and follow your policy. The decision on what is covered is the insurer's.
What if a tree fell on the house?
Keep everyone out of the affected rooms, stay clear of any wires, and call the utility if lines are involved. Tree removal is usually a separate trade. A roofer deals with the roof once the tree is off or the area has been judged safe.
Do wind-damaged shingles have to be replaced all at once?
Not always. If the surrounding shingles are sound, a section can be repaired. If the whole roof is worn, a roofer may suggest replacement. Ask for the reasoning, with photos where possible.
Does storm damage affect only the roof surface?
No. Wind can also loosen flashing, bend vents, pull gutters and let water into the attic. A roofer checks the whole system, and you should look at ceilings and the attic after the next rain for new stains.