CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Over the past eight months, we've seen fewer tarps on roofs. With Thursday being the first day of hurricane season, tarps could be a problem for people if we do get a storm.
One homeowner says she's finally getting a new roof next week, but says she's been on pins and needles leading up to the rainy season.
"Things just sounded like they were being ripped off the roof," said Katie Yeakey. "There were just shingles off all over the place." Yeakey lives in Cape Coral and has a tarp on her roof. It's been replaced three times because of wear and tear, plus prior roofing inspectors missing spots.
"You sell all the pieces all over the yard still and everything else," she said. "it could've been a lot worst for us than what it was." The tarp will soon go away, eight months after Ian.
"We’re super stoked we’re getting it done now because we’re at the first day of hurricane season," she said.
Not everyone can say the same. There are still so many with tarps or blue roofs from Operation Blue Roof, headed by the US Army Corps of Engineers. "It’s [tarps] creating headaches, it’s creating leaks and there’s a lot of people struggling with their insurance companies," said Tristan Starbird with Trademark Roofing. "We’re fielding a lot of those calls and trying to respond as quickly as possible."
He says with the recent rain, it may have woke up a lot of people to act now. "They’re really just not meant to last this long," he said.
Tarps are only meant to last for 30 days. Any longer than that the tarps can start to shred from wear and tear due to rain, wind, and the sun. He suggests getting a new tarp if it's damaged, or financing a new roof if you have to.
"If they’ve been stalled out or if they haven’t been able to move forward on a claim or anything like that or their deductible is super high, financing is the option," Starbird explained.
Luckily, Yeakey did not have to. She took the public adjuster route, though it still took time to see the roof materials.
"I’m glad we did that route because I don’t think we would have even been able to afford the roof from what the insurance company was trying to give us," Yeakey explained. "I know a lot of us had to wait for that insurance money."
With a new roof getting installed next week, Yeakey says she's relieved as we start hurricane season.
"They're going to start demo tomorrow, hopefully, weather permitting," she said. "We're just glad it's almost done."
