How to Spot Roof Storm Damage After a Windstorm

The San Juan Islands take a beating from the weather. Between roughly 40 inches of rain a year and west-side winds that run about 20 percent stronger than they do over in Anacortes, a good windstorm can leave your roof compromised in ways you won't notice from the couch. The tricky part is that storm damage often hides in plain sight — a lifted shingle here, a loosened flashing seam there — and by the time water shows up on your ceiling, the problem has been quietly growing for weeks.

This guide walks you through a safe, systematic inspection you can do yourself after the wind dies down. You don't need to climb onto a wet, steep roof to catch most problems. You need patience, a good pair of binoculars, and a clear idea of what you're looking for.

Start Inside, Not Outside

Counterintuitive as it sounds, the best place to begin is your attic. Interior clues often reveal a breach before anything is visible from the ground.

Look for daylight. Pinholes of light through the roof deck mean gaps where wind-driven rain will follow.
Check for wet insulation or dark streaks on the underside of the decking. Moisture stains point to an active or recent leak.
Smell the air. A musty, damp odor after a storm suggests trapped moisture, which matters enormously in our wet climate.
Feel the rafters for soft or spongy wood near the eaves and valleys, where ice-and-water membrane failures show up first.

If you find any of these, note the location. It'll help you match interior clues to the exterior spot later.

The Ground-Level Walk-Around

Now head outside with binoculars. Walk the full perimeter of the house slowly and look up at every slope. Anyone chasing down https://www.tumblr.com/mildlygalacticyeti/824086845536256000/a-homeowners-guide-to-roof-financing-and should learn to read a roof from the yard before ever setting foot on a ladder — most of what you need to see is visible from below.

Here's your ground-level checklist:

What to Look For What It Usually Means Missing or flipped shingles Wind uplift; underlayment now exposed Curled, cracked, or bruised shingles Aging or impact damage; loss of granules Granules piling in gutters Accelerated shingle wear from wind and rain Lifted or peeled flashing Compromised seal at chimneys, valleys, walls Bent or detached drip edge Water can now wick behind the fascia Debris piles (branches, needles) Trapped moisture and blocked drainage Sagging gutters or downspouts Overloaded during heavy rain; pulling away

Take photos of anything that looks off. Zoom in with your phone or camera so you have a record — it's invaluable for tracking whether damage worsens and for any conversation with a contractor.

Pay Special Attention to the Vulnerable Zones

Not all parts of a roof fail equally. On island homes, certain areas take the brunt of wind and water.

Valleys and Eaves

These are where ice-and-water membrane belongs, and where water concentrates. After a storm, look for displaced shingles or exposed membrane in the valleys. At the eaves, check that the drip edge is still tight and that nothing is peeling.

West- and South-Facing Slopes

Because west-side wind is meaningfully stronger here, the windward slopes suffer the most uplift. Inspect these first and most carefully. A slope that faces the prevailing weather off the strait sees pressures a sheltered slope never will.

Flashing and Penetrations

Chimneys, plumbing vents, skylights, and wall junctions rely on flashing to stay watertight. Wind works flashing loose over time, and a single lifted seam is enough to let driven rain in. Salt air near saltwater doesn't help — it corrodes cheap fasteners and coatings, so older flashing on a waterfront home deserves extra scrutiny.

North Slopes and Shaded Areas

Under the Douglas firs, north-facing slopes stay damp and grow moss. A storm can rip moss-weakened shingles loose entirely. If you see green mats lifting at the edges, that's a section to watch.

What to Do the Moment You Find Damage

Speed matters in our climate. With rain never far off — and November the wettest month of all — an open breach can turn a small repair into a decking replacement fast.

Contain the interior. Place buckets under active drips and move belongings clear.
Document everything. Date-stamped photos of every problem area, inside and out.
Don't attempt a permanent DIY fix on a steep or wet roof. A tarp secured properly by a professional is safer than a fall.
Call for a professional inspection promptly. Ferry logistics mean island crews can't always come same-day, so get on the schedule early.

Repair or Replace? A Quick Reality Check

Once a professional has assessed the damage, you'll face the repair-versus-replace question. Here are rough ranges to frame the decision — an estimate, not a quote:

Scenario Typical Cost Range Minor storm repair $450 – $3,500 Moss treatment (if damage is moss-related) $400 – $1,600 Full asphalt replacement $9,000 – $24,000 Standing-seam metal replacement $14,000 – $45,000+

If your roof is near the end of its life and a storm has caused widespread damage, repeated patching rarely pays off. Many island homeowners use a major storm as the moment to upgrade to standing-seam metal, which handles our wind, rain, and salt air far better and lasts 50 years or more.

Build a Post-Storm Habit

The homeowners who avoid nasty surprises are the ones who inspect after every significant blow, not just once a year. A ten-minute walk-around with binoculars, plus a quick attic peek, catches the small stuff before it becomes structural. Keep a simple log of dates and photos. Over time you'll know your roof's weak spots and can point a contractor straight to them.

Your roof is the single most important barrier between your home and some of the wettest, windiest weather in the country. Treat every windstorm as a reason to look up — carefully, from the ground — and you'll spend far less over the life of the house.

About the Author

Marcus Delgado is a former residential inspector turned home-maintenance writer based in the Pacific Northwest. He focuses on practical, safety-first guidance that helps homeowners catch small problems before the rainy season turns them into expensive ones.