Roofing Contractors Impacted by Derecho, Hurricane Laura Still Find Ways to Give Back

In times of hardship and despair, there is always a sense of hope as people come together to overcome, and more often than not, roofing contractors are among those lending a hand.

Such is the case in Iowa, where a derecho storm that hit the Midwest between Aug. 10-11 caused widespread damage to homes, toppled trees, destroyed fields of crops and left many without power. Derechos are a type of straight-line wind storm, and in this case, it generated winds at speeds reaching 126 mph as well as tornadoes. It covered roughly 800 miles and left a swath of destruction across Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Four people died and nearly 2 million were without power for days across all states.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was one of the hardest-hit areas. Adjutant General Benjamin Corell, commander of the Iowa National Guard, compared the damage to what he saw in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The estimated damage to public infrastructure in Iowa alone is $23.6 million, with another $21.6 million for cleaning the debris.

Garry Mattix, co-owner of Iowa Legends Roofing & Remodeling in Altoona, said the pictures his staff and crews sent back to the office from the area are heartbreaking. He said in addition to contracted work, they’ve been tarping people’s homes free of charge to lend a hand.

“It’s definitely been crazy, to say the least,” Mattix said. “It’s pretty much a Category 3, and in some cases a Category 4 hurricane in the middle of the country.”

Areas further south, like the Gulf of Mexico — which took the one-two punches of hurricanes Laura and Sally — are more suited to withstand the damage after decades of experience and preparation. 

“This was unexpected. Here in Florida we’re used to the 100 mph wind, but when you face that kind of wind in Iowa, it’s a different event,” said Cotney Construction Law CEO Trent Cotney, who’s based in Tampa. “A lot of the structures aren’t necessarily built to withstand that kind of intense wind.

“A lot of contractors are working around the clock, like a bomb went off,” he continued. “Every type of facility — whether it’s a mall or an office building, along with almost every residential structure — there has been some kind of damage. And they are having a tough time getting materials and getting production going.”

Michael Carver, a national accounts representative with Beacon Building Products, said that with pre-pandemic inventories depleted, and slowdowns in the supply chain due to some COVID-19 shutdowns, supply lines were already stressed prior to the recent derecho and hurricanes. 

“There are some valid concerns with supply chain,” Carver explained. “The industry had it rough from end of March and into April and we kicked right into storm season. That made it hard for some of our vendor partners and distribution throughout who got caught with reductions in inventory. It was a huge challenge and our contractors had to adapt.” 

Like other roofing companies, Iowa Legends considered the derecho a double-edged sword — they’ve taken on so much work they have to start turning it down, but they’re sad to see so much damage done to people’s homes. That’s why the company, founded in fall 2019, is doing its part to help.

Iowa Legends Roofing & Remodeling is sponsoring a T-shirt fundraiser with 100% of the net proceeds donated to the Carson King Foundation for derecho relief and recovery efforts. As of publication, the fundraiser has collected more than $56,000.

Those with keen memories may recall Carson King as the “Busch Light Guy” who famously raised more than $3 million after creating a sign that read “Busch Light Supply Needs Replenished” and included his Venmo account info, which was then displayed on ESPN’s “College GameDay” show. King donated all of the money to the University of Iowa's Stead Children's Hospital, and has since started the Carson King Foundation.

Iowa Legends Roofing & Remodeling’s other co-owner is King’s brother, Josh King, and Carson has joined the ranks of the roofing company. Together, they’re teaming up to give back as a roofing company and hope to show what they’re made of during this time of recovery.

“It’s been a crazy beginning,” said Mattix, noting the company opened months before the COVID-19 pandemic. “But we’re doing well, for a start-up company I don’t think it could’ve gone any better.”

Laura’s Lasting Effects

Hurricane Laura, which made landfall on Aug. 27 as a Category 4 hurricane, hit Louisiana and southeastern Texas hard, leaving behind an estimated $8.7 billion in damage. EagleView Technologies activated its pilot network and drone systems to deliver pre- and post-event imagery comparisons that show the extent of Hurricane Laura's destruction.

"EagleView's patented machine learning technology quickly puts critical information into the hands of insurance carriers and construction contractors, which is incredibly important when responding to a massive event like Hurricane Laura," said EagleView CEO Chris Jurasek. "By decreasing the amount of time spent per claim, insurance carriers are able to handle more properties and expedite rebuilding efforts in a significant manner." 

Superb Roofing out of New Braunfels, Texas, was among the roofing contractors heading to Orange, Texas, as well as the St. Charles, La., areas to offer their services to homeowners recovering from Laura. Owner Josh Janczewski said his company is keenly aware of how destructive hurricanes can be. Not only did they work during Hurricane Florence in 2018, Janczewski and his family experienced Florence while living in Jacksonville, N.C.

“There’s a lot more devastation here than just roofing work,” he said, comparing the aftermath of Laura versus Florence. “There’s buildings and houses that are literally wiped off the planet, or in somebody else’s yard ... it’s the worst we’ve ever seen, that’s for sure.”

Janczewski said he expected to stay in the area for the next month, anticipating they could complete contracting work in the area for the next six months to a year. He said the company became licensed in Louisiana to ensure they can work legally in the area.

“Somebody’s going to have to do the work. It’s not something that we’re at home hoping happens or something crazy like that, but when it does, it’s good that people know that there are contractors that will treat them as if they were family,” he said.

Hot Zone

Meanwhile, on the West Coast, skies turned a foreboding orange hue as wildfires raged, killing more than 24 people across a month and causing heavy damage to property. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, more than 100 wildfires were burning across 12 western states as of mid-September, scorching more than 4.3 million acres.

It’s one reason why the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) issued wildfire home safety check-ups to homeowners prior to the Fourth of July holiday. Among suggestions like making sure fire safety equipment is ready and that gutters and soffits are clean, the MRA is suggesting metal roofing in place of other types of roofing systems. According to the MRA, metal roofing has a Class A fire rating, the highest available, which is why safety experts recommend them for wildfire-prone areas.

“The need to re-evaluate and do things differently in light of a changing climate will continue to lead homeowners and builders to construct more resilient homes in every region,” said Dick Bus, president of ATAS International and the MRA.