Hail, wind and tornado records in Florida, 2024 to 2026
For July 2024 to June 2026, NOAA's Storm Events database lists 86 Florida hail records of 1 inch or larger, 4 of them 2 inches or more. It also lists 524 wind records of 50 knots or more and 113 tornado records. Leon County has the most strong-wind records at 46, then Jackson at 38, Duval at 34, Walton at 32 and Gadsden at 27. Palm Beach leads on hail with 12. Each one is a weather record, and none counts damaged roofs.
What storm damage repair costs in Florida: estimates, not quotes
Storm damage with water damage models at $715 to $5,800 per repair with water damage, a wide band from one national range widened by 15 percent each side and scaled by Florida's roofer wage ratio of 0.84.
The model adds no permit fee, because that depends on the repair that follows. Your insurer's scope and a company's written estimate set the figure you'll work from.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $715 to $5,800 per repair with water damage | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Florida roofer wage ratio (0.84). Six Florida roofing companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (no counted Florida company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Roofer wage, Florida mean | $23.49 an hour | What Florida roofers earned per hour in May 2025 (BLS); pay for the work and not the cost of a storm repair. |
Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (1 source), adjusted by Florida's roofer wage ratio to the US (0.84, BLS May 2025), plus the local permit fee where the city publishes one. Not a quote. Six Florida roofing companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. We have no counted Florida company price for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Full method. Prices as of Oct 24, 2026.
Repair or replace after a storm
Two Florida rules shape the answer. Past 25 percent of the roof in 12 months, a roof that predates the 2007 code has to conform as a whole. On the insurance side, an inspection showing 5 or more years of life left keeps an insurer from refusing on roof age alone.
- The damage is on one slope and the rest passes an inspection.
- The roof was built or redone to the 2007 code or later.
- Wind or hail damaged most slopes.
- The deck has water damage or lost attachment.
Federal storm declarations for Florida since September 2024
OpenFEMA's Florida declarations dated September 24, 2024 to October 9, 2026 include Tropical Storm Helene (EM-3615), Hurricane Helene (DR-4828) and four Hurricane Milton declarations, DR-4834 over 52 county areas among them. The newest is EM-3655, Hurricane Isaias, declared October 9, 2026 across 27 county areas.
Notice, supplemental claims and the roof deductible
Under section 627.70132 the date of loss for a hurricane is the day it made landfall, and for other weather it's the date NOAA verifies the event. A separate roof deductible under section 627.701(10) is capped at the lesser of 2 percent of the dwelling coverage or half the cost to replace the roof. Hurricane losses are excluded. So are a total loss, a tree puncture of the deck and a repair of less than 50 percent of the roof. On a replacement-cost loss, the insurer may hold the roof payment at actual cash value until it sees proof you paid that deductible.
What a roofer may and may not do with your claim
Section 489.147 bars a contractor from offering a rebate, gift card or deductible waiver for an inspection or a claim, and from paying or taking referral money that comes out of insurance proceeds. Policy advice is out as well: no interpreting your policy or adjusting the claim without a public adjuster license under chapter 626. It also bars an agreement to repair without a good-faith itemized estimate. Violations carry up to $10,000 each.
Section 627.7152, as printed in 2026, allows an assignment of benefits only under policies issued from July 1, 2019 to before January 1, 2023, and prints no later window.
What counts as an emergency after a storm
- The deck is exposed or the ceiling is sagging with trapped water.
- Power lines or a fallen tree rest on the roof.
- Missing granules or small dents with no water inside.
- A few lifted shingles on a dry slope.
What to do before the adjuster visits
- Write down the date of loss; for a hurricane it's the day of landfall.
- Give the insurer notice of the claim the way your policy requires, and keep a copy.
- Get a written, itemized estimate from a roofer whose license you've checked, and read it before any agreement.
Does storm repair need a permit?
It depends on the repair. Port St. Lucie says roof replacements and substantial repairs need one and temporary tarping doesn't, and Tallahassee's roofing form exempts improvements worth under $300. Leon County waived building permit fees in unincorporated areas after the May 10, 2024 tornado outbreak, on request, for that event only.
Florida licenses roofing contractors through DBPR, so before any work starts, ask for the license number and look it up on DBPR's license search.
Questions people ask
How much does storm damage repair cost on a Florida roof?
We model $715 to $5,800 per repair with water damage, which isn't a quote. It's a wide band built from one national range; the insurer's scope and a written estimate set the figure.
How long do I have to file a storm claim in Florida?
One year to give notice and 18 months for a supplemental claim. Section 627.70132 bars later claims, and for a hurricane the clock starts at landfall.
Does my roof deductible apply to hurricane damage?
No, not a roof deductible. Section 627.701(10) excludes hurricane roof losses, total losses, tree punctures of the deck and repairs to less than half the roof.
Can a roofer negotiate my claim with the insurer?
Not unless the person is a licensed public adjuster. Section 489.147 bars a roofing contractor from interpreting your policy, advising on coverage or adjusting a claim.
What must a storm-season roofing flyer say?
That the deductible is yours to pay and that waiving it is felony fraud. The wording has to appear in type at least 12 points and half the size of the largest font on the flyer.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Roofers (SOC 47-2181), Florida, mean hourly wage Read Oct 24, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Roofers (SOC 47-2181), United States, mean hourly wage Read Oct 24, 2026.
- RooferMatch: how we estimate costs, Florida (editorial policy) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Online Sunshine: Fla. Stat. 489.147 Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Online Sunshine: Fla. Stat. 627.7152 Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Online Sunshine: Fla. Stat. 627.70132 Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Online Sunshine: Fla. Stat. 627.701 Liability of insureds; coinsurance; deductibles Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Online Sunshine: Fla. Stat. 627.7011 Read Oct 24, 2026.
- 2023 Florida Building Code, Existing Building, Eighth Edition, Chapter 7 (ICC free-access copy for the Florida Building Commission) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, bulk CSV details files 2024-2026 Read Oct 24, 2026.
- OpenFEMA API v2: DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (Florida) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Port St. Lucie: Post-Storm Recovery Permitting Guide Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Tallahassee: Roofing Permit Application (form) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Leon County: County Waives Permit Fees for Storm-Related Repairs (2024-05-15) Read Oct 24, 2026.