Roof problems
Missing shingles after wind: what to do
A few missing shingles expose the underlayment, which can keep water out for a short time but not for long. Photograph the damage from the ground, contact your insurer before making permanent repairs if you plan to file a claim, watch the attic for leaks, and get it addressed before the next storm. If shingles are missing in several places or the roof is older, replacement is often better value than repeated repairs.
Updated October 3, 2026
- What it looks like
- Bare patches, shingles creased or flapping along the top edge, or pieces of shingle and granules in the yard after a storm.
- What it usually means
- The shingles lost their seal or their fastening. On an older roof, brittle shingles break where they’re nailed.
- How urgent
- Within days. The exposed underlayment isn’t made to be the outer layer and breaks down in sun and wind.
- What to do next
- Photograph the damage from the ground, call your insurer if you plan to file, and see a replacement price for your house at thethomasroofing.com. Thomas Roofing doesn’t handle claims, but the estimate is yours to share with your adjuster.
Why shingles blow off
- Adhesive strips that never sealed, often after an install in cold weather
- Shingles that have become brittle with age
- Nails placed too high, missing the reinforced strip on the shingle
- Wind catching an edge where the starter strip or drip edge is missing
How urgent is it?
Underlayment isn’t built to be the outer layer of your roof. It degrades in sunlight and can tear, so plan to cover or repair the area within days, not months.
Repair or replace?
Matching new shingles to a faded roof is hard, and brittle older shingles tend to crack when a roofer lifts them to make a repair. If the roof is near the end of its life, or the damage is spread across it, replacement usually costs less over time.
What the code and the shingle wrapper tell you
- Connecticut’s building code requires at least four nails in every strip shingle, and six on roofs steeper than 20:12 (Connecticut State Building Code R905.2.6)
- Drip edge is required at the eaves and the rakes (Connecticut State Building Code R905.2.8.5). Where it or the starter strip is missing, wind can catch the edge of the roof.
- Shingle bundles carry a wind rating. Under ASTM D3161, Class F means the shingle passed a two-hour test at 110 mph.
What Connecticut’s Insurance Department advises after a storm
- Photograph and video the damage, if it’s safe to
- Contact your insurer or agent as soon as possible
- Don’t start permanent repairs before you’ve talked to your insurer
- Keep receipts for emergency repairs and cleanup
- Avoid storm-related scams and unregistered contractors. Connecticut requires home improvement contractors to register with the Department of Consumer Protection, and you can look up any registration at elicense.ct.gov.
Sources
- City of Meriden Building Department, Asphalt shingle installation based on the 2022 Connecticut State Building Code
- Professional Roofing (National Roofing Contractors Association), The wind resistance of shingles
- Connecticut Insurance Department, Severe storms: what to do after severe weather
- Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Home improvement for consumers
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