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Home/Service Areas/Louisiana/LaPlace/Storm Damage Emergency Response

Storm Damage Emergency Response in LaPlace, LA

Big Easy Roofing responds to storm damaged homes across LaPlace and the east bank of St. John the Baptist Parish. The instinct after a storm is to get the roof covered. The parish's own advice for returning home opens with local officials and covers electricity and flood water, and the roof comes after that.

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People firstBefore anyone climbs
Utilities safeBefore anyone goes in
Photograph, then coverThe parish says photograph
SJPWEATHER to 888-777Parish weather alerts

LaPlace storm emergency response at a glance

This page is about the hours after a storm and before a roofer arrives. St. John the Baptist Parish publishes its own list for returning home after a hurricane. It opens with local officials, covers electricity and flood water, and does not mention the roof. The order matters more than the speed, because two steps cannot be undone.

First thing checked

Is it safe to go back in

The parish says to "Pay attention to local officials for information and special instructions on when to return home." Structural movement, ceilings holding water and walls out of plumb are then looked at from the ground and from inside before anyone puts a ladder against the roof.

Second thing checked

Electricity and water

The parish says "Do not touch electrical equipment if it is wet or if you are standing in water. If it is safe to do so, turn off electricity at the main breaker or fuse box to prevent electric shock. Stay away from loose dangling power lines."

The order that matters

Photograph, then cover

The parish list says "Document any property damage with photographs. Contact your insurance company for assistance." Our process: the photographs come before the tarp is booked, because a tarp hides what somebody will later want to see.

Emergency line

Answered 24/7

After a widespread storm the whole region calls at once. The pricing and scope of the make safe visit itself live on our LaPlace emergency roof repair page.

What we will not do

Interpret your policy

Louisiana R.S. 37:2159.1 stops a roofing contractor from interpreting an insurance policy on a homeowner's behalf. We describe the damage and price the work, and that is what we hand you to use with your insurer.

Parish alerts

Text SJPWEATHER to 888-777

The parish Hurricanes page says "Register for Parish Weather Alerts by texting SJPWEATHER to 888-777." Signing up before the season is easier than after the power has gone.

Emergency storm response is not roofing. The first questions after a storm are whether officials have said it is time to go back, whether the building is safe to be in, and whether anything inside it is dangerous to be near. Those get answered from the ground and from inside before anybody puts a ladder against the wall.

The second thing to name plainly is that the situation is evidence, and evidence has a short life. Water stops running, debris gets cleared, a tarp goes over the hole, and within a day the only record of what the storm did is whatever somebody photographed first. The parish itself puts photographing the damage on its returning home list.

The five steps in the order they belong

Five steps, and the sequence is the point rather than the speed. The parish list says to heed local officials, keep clear of wet electrical equipment and dangling power lines, and document damage with photographs. The order, the structural check, dating the photographs, the covering and the assessment are our process, not the parish's.

StepWhat happensWhere it comes fromWhat skipping it costs
1. Is it safe to go back inOfficials heard, then structure and ceilings checkedThe parish on officials; the structural check is our processA person under a collapsing ceiling or on an unsafe roof, the one unrecoverable outcome
2. Electricity and waterWet equipment left alone, breaker off only if safe, dangling lines avoidedThe parish returning home listA hazard nobody looked for because everyone was looking up
3. Photograph the damagePhotographs, dated and taken before anything is moved or coveredThe parish says to document property damage with photographs; dating them and taking them first is our processThe evidence, permanently. A tarp hides exactly what mattered
4. Make safe and coverTarp fitted, loose material secured, openings closedOur work, priced on the LaPlace emergency roof repair pageInterior damage that keeps growing after the storm has passed
5. Assess and priceDamage categorised and the repair scoped in writingOur work, with the parish flood rule on the storm damage pageSigning something on a doorstep under pressure

The parish advice in steps 1 to 3 comes from its Hurricanes page; the order, the checks and steps 4 and 5 are ours. Prices for the make safe work are on the LaPlace emergency roof repair page, so there is one set of figures rather than two. Call (504) 800-8196 and we will work through it in this order.

What not to touch, and what the law says about pricing

Four things people reasonably do straight after a storm that can make the situation worse, two quoting the parish directly, one paraphrasing its advice and one in ours, plus one thing about pricing worth knowing before anyone signs anything. None of the four is careless, which is exactly why they are worth naming plainly.

Do not wade in flood water

The parish explains why

The parish says "Do not wade in flood water, which can contain dangerous pathogens that cause illnesses, debris, chemicals, waste, and wildlife. Underground or downed power lines can also electrically charge the water."

Do not climb into a closed attic

If flood water is rising

For anyone trapped by flooding, the parish says to go to the highest level of the building and "Do not climb into a closed attic. You may become trapped by rising flood water."

Do not clear up before photographing

The clear up destroys the record

Sweeping debris, moving furniture and covering openings all happen eventually. The parish says to wear protective clothing and appropriate face coverings or masks when cleaning mold or other debris. Photograph first.

Do not climb up to look

Especially not on a wet roof

A roof that has lost fixings can look intact and give way under weight, and a wet roof after a storm is the worst combination. Whatever is up there will still be there when somebody with the right equipment arrives. Our advice, not a parish rule.

Price gouging is regulated during a declared emergency

Louisiana R.S. 29:732 restricts prices during a declared state of emergency, and whether it applies on a given day depends on the declaration in force at the time. That is worth knowing before anyone signs anything.

Practical version: get any figure in writing with the date on it, from whoever is quoting it. That is what lets anyone assess it against the statute later.

Be careful about who arrives at the door

A storm brings people to the door, and some of them were not in the area the week before. Do not sign anything on a doorstep, and do not sign anything that assigns your insurance claim or its benefits to a contractor.

The LaPlace emergency roof repair page carries the make safe visit, its estimate and the parish electrical emergency inspection line. This page stops before the ladder goes up.

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What a named storm has done in St. John the Baptist Parish

The parish's 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update records what recent storms did in St. John the Baptist Parish, from downed power lines to flooded highways, and the parish Hurricanes page lists the numbers it publishes. Together they explain why nobody can honestly promise an hour after a regional storm.

What the plan records for Delta and Zeta

For Delta (2020) the plan says "Several trees were downed and at the peak, roughly 20% of the parish was without power", and "... the surge from Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas inundated Highways 51 and 55, rendering them impassable. The flooding also impacted the on and off ramps of Interstate 10 near LaPlace."

For Zeta (2020) it says: "In St. John the Baptist Parish, Zeta produced tropical storm force wind gusts which downed trees, power lines, and power poles across the parish. At the peak, roughly one third of the parish was without power." The plan also lists Hurricane Ida (2021), and says "... Hurricane Ida occurred very recently relative to the writing of this risk assessment and a complete synopsis of the event and its impacts has yet to be compiled."

Downed trees and damaged buildings

The same plan says "Downed trees and damaged buildings are a potential health hazard due to instability, electrical system damage, broken pipelines, chemical releases, and gas leaks. Sewage and water lines may also be damaged."

Our reading, not the plan's: that is the list a homeowner is walking back into, and every item on it comes before the roof. Utility restoration is not something any roofer schedules; what we can do is tell you which problem is actually holding your job up.

The numbers the parish lists

The parish Hurricanes page lists Emergency Preparedness 985-652-2222, Power Outage 1-800-9OUTAGE, Atmos Energy 1-888-286-6700, Road Closures 511, and 911 "To report flooding or other emergencies". It also says to "Save phone calls for emergencies if possible. Phone systems are often down or busy after a disaster."

The labels are the parish's own, and we do not say what any of those lines will do about a given call. The parish flood rule that turns on repair cost sits on the LaPlace storm damage roof repair page.

Big Easy Roofing Process

Four steps here, with the table's building and utility checks taken as one; the first two happen before anybody gets on the roof, because that is what makes the rest of it safe to do.

A roofer securing a weatherproof tarp over storm damaged roof decking on a LaPlace home
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01

Make sure it is safe to be there

Officials heard on returning home, then structure, ceilings holding water, wet electrics and standing water assessed from the ground and from inside. If it is not safe to be in, that is the first thing you are told.

02

Photograph before anything moves

Every damaged element recorded with the date, inside and out, before any clearing or covering starts. The photographs are yours whether or not you use us.

03

Cover and secure

Weatherproof tarp fitted, loose material secured and openings closed, so the rain that follows the storm does not do more damage than the storm did. That work and its pricing sit on the LaPlace emergency roof repair page.

04

Then talk about the repair

The damage categorised and the work scoped in writing once the pressure is off, with no signature needed on a doorstep. Call (504) 800-8196.

Everything else we do in LaPlace

The rest of the Big Easy Roofing services available in LaPlace, each with its own page and written estimate. This page covers the hours before a roofer arrives. The emergency roof repair page covers the tarp and make safe work, and the storm damage page carries the parish substantial damage flood rule.

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LaPlace Storm Emergency Response FAQs

The questions worth asking in the first hours after a storm in LaPlace, answered with the parish's own advice where it has published some.

Topic

Question not here?

Ask us anything about a storm damaged home in LaPlace. No charge and no obligation.

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What should I do first after a storm damages my roof in LaPlace

Follow the parish returning home advice before anything else: listen to local officials on when to return, do not touch electrical equipment if it is wet or if you are standing in water, stay away from loose dangling power lines, and do not wade in flood water. Then photograph the damage before anyone clears up or covers anything.

Should I turn off the power

The parish says "If it is safe to do so, turn off electricity at the main breaker or fuse box to prevent electric shock." The same list says "Do not touch electrical equipment if it is wet or if you are standing in water." When in doubt, stay out and call an electrician.

Can I just put a tarp on it myself

We would rather you did not. A roof that has lost fixings can look intact and give way under weight, and it is wet, which is the worst combination there is. Whatever is up there will still be there when someone with the right equipment arrives.

Why photograph before covering the damage

Because a tarp hides exactly the thing somebody will later want to see. The parish Hurricanes page itself says "Document any property damage with photographs. Contact your insurance company for assistance."

What is the difference between this and emergency roof repair

This page is the hours before a roofer arrives: is it safe to go back in, is the electricity safe, what must not be touched, and what to record. The LaPlace emergency roof repair page is the work itself, the tarp and the make safe, with its own prices. The LaPlace storm damage roof repair page carries the parish substantial damage flood rule.

How quickly can you get to me

A single damaged house we aim to reach quickly. After a regional storm the whole area is calling at once. The parish plan records roughly one third of the parish without power at the peak of Zeta in 2020, so no honest answer involves a specific hour. We will tell you where you are in the queue.

How do I get parish alerts

The parish Hurricanes page says "Register for Parish Weather Alerts by texting SJPWEATHER to 888-777." It also suggests a weather radio in case of power or cell service outage.

Should I sign anything before work starts

Not on a doorstep, and not anything that assigns your claim or your benefits to a contractor. Get any figure in writing with a date on it.

Are prices allowed to go up after a storm

Louisiana R.S. 29:732 restricts prices during a declared state of emergency, and whether it applies on a given day depends on the declaration in force. Either way, get the figure in writing with a date on it.

Will you deal with my insurance company

No, and be wary of a roofer who says they will. Louisiana R.S. 37:2159.1 prohibits a contractor from interpreting insurance policy provisions regarding coverage or duties, or adjusting a property insurance claim on behalf of an insured as a public adjuster. We photograph and describe the damage and price the work, and hand that to you to use with your insurer.

Does emergency work need a permit in LaPlace

We have not read a St. John the Baptist Parish rule on temporary weatherproofing, so we will not tell you one either way. Louisiana requires any municipality or parish that issues construction permits to permit and inspect roof construction and reroofing, at La. R.S. 37:3737(I). The Permit Division on (985) 651-5565 can say what your job needs.

Get the building checked before anyone climbs and the damage recorded before it is covered

We check whether the building is safe to be in, photograph every damaged element with the date, and only then put anything on the roof. If you would rather start in writing, tell us what the job involves and we will come back with an estimate.

Call (504) 800-8196
Storm Damage Emergency Responsein LaPlace