September 10 marks the statistical peak of Atlantic hurricane season — which means we’re past the peak, but not past the danger. The Gulf stays active well into November, and every year we get a wave of calls from homeowners who assumed their roof was fine until a storm proved otherwise. Composition shingle roofs — the asphalt architectural shingles on the overwhelming majority of South Texas homes — hold up well when they’re sound, but a roof that’s already weakened won’t announce it until it’s too late. Here are five signs worth checking before the next system rolls through.

1. Granule Loss in the Gutters

Composition shingles are coated with granules that protect against UV rays and give the shingle its wind resistance. If you’re finding what looks like coarse black sand collecting in your gutters or at the base of downspouts, your shingles are shedding protection they need. A little granule loss is normal as a roof ages; a steady, heavy accumulation means the shingles underneath are more exposed than they should be heading into storm season.

2. Curling or Lifting Edges

Walk your property line and look up at the roofline from a few different angles. Shingles that are curling at the edges or lifting slightly off the roof deck have lost their seal — and a lifted edge is exactly what a strong Gulf wind gust grabs onto first. This is one of the clearest visual signs that a roof’s wind resistance has already started to fail, well before you’d notice a leak.

3. Missing or Cracked Shingles

This one seems obvious, but a lot of homeowners don’t do a visual check until after a storm. A missing shingle isn’t just a cosmetic issue — it’s an open point of entry for wind-driven rain, and it puts extra stress on every shingle around it during the next high-wind event. Cracked shingles, especially after our summer heat, are just as vulnerable.

4. Soft Spots or Sagging

If you can get a safe look at your roof deck from the attic, check for any soft spots, sagging, or visible daylight coming through anywhere it shouldn’t. This usually points to moisture that’s already gotten past the shingle layer and started affecting the decking underneath — a much bigger (and more expensive) problem than a surface-level shingle issue, and one that compounds fast once a storm adds more water to the mix.

5. Your Roof’s Age Versus Its Wind Rating

Composition roofs installed to current Texas-compliant standards are typically rated to handle wind speeds up to 130 mph when installed correctly — but that rating degrades over the life of the roof. A 15-to-20-year-old composition roof simply doesn’t perform like a new one, even if it looks fine from the curb. If you can’t remember the last time your roof was professionally inspected, that alone is reason enough to get one done before the rest of hurricane season plays out.

If any of this sounds familiar, don’t wait for the next storm to find out the hard way. AlleyCat Roofing has been South Texas’s trusted composition roofing specialist since 1967 — we’ll walk your roof, give you a straight answer with no upsell, and if you’ve already got storm damage, we coordinate directly with your insurance company so you’re never stuck being the go-between. Every job is backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Schedule your free roof inspection with AlleyCat Roofing today, and head into the rest of storm season knowing exactly where you stand.