Observations Of Building Performance in Southwest Florida During Hurricane Ian (2022): PART I: Roof Cover Damage Assessment on Residential and Light Commercial Structures
Hurricane Ian made landfall along the barrier island of Cayo Costa near Punta Gorda, Florida, on September 28, 2022, as a Category 4 storm on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
Part I focuses on roof cover performance for both steep- and low-slope roofs.
Research
The area impacted by Hurricane Ian’s winds featured a diverse building stock varying in age, construction type, roof covers, and whether structures had been repaired or replaced after Hurricane Charley (2004). To assess performance, IBHS used aerial imagery, from NOAA and EagleView, and street level imagery from the National Science Foundation’s Structural Extreme Events Reconnaissance (StEER) teams.
In total, the assessment included:
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- 3,646 single-family homes
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- 327 light commercial buildings
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- 133 multifamily structures (e.g., condos, townhomes, and duplexes).
Key Findings at a Glance
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- Asphalt shingles saw the most damage. About half of all shingle roofs had issues—similar to what was seen after Hurricane Charley, showing little improvement over 18 years. Roofs 10+ years old were especially vulnerable.
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- Low-slope commercial roofs also had damage rates above 50%, with most affected roofs showing related flashing or coping failures, even on buildings constructed after newer code provisions took effect.
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- Metal roofs performed best. Damage rates were around 12%, and most issues resulted from failures of nearby structures—not the roofs themselves. Metal systems held up well in winds below 130 mph.
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- Tile roofs showed strong improvement compared to 2004. While about 40% experienced some damage, significant damage was rare except on roofs more than 20 years old.
Citation
Giammanco, Ian M., Emily Newby, and Hank Pogorzelski. “Observations Of Building Performance in Southwest Florida During Hurricane Ian (2022): PART I: Roof Cover Damage Assessment on Residential and Light Commercial Structures.” Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, 2023. https://doi.org/10.82346/A32N-PS55.
