“I’m just overwhelmed”: Homeowners getting roof inspections in San Jose neighborhood

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — This is damage an Action News Jax crew saw in the San Jose neighborhood on Wednesday night.

That’s when Carole Smith was assessing the damage to her property for the first time.

“I guess I’m just overwhelmed because I don’t know how long this is all going to take to fix,” she told Action News Jax reporter Jessica Barreto.

There’s still debris left behind by the tornado touching down in her San Jose neighborhood.

“To see my house the way it is now, and I just cleaned this porch last Friday, and look at it now, you can’t even tell it’s ever been cleaned,” she said.

You can see roof shingles scattered in Smith’s backyard and she tells Action News Jax that when that tornado tore through her neighborhood, a branch ripped off from a nearby tree and it pierced her roof.

Her neighbors have since helped throw some tarp over it, but once the tree pierced her roof, those tornado winds got underneath the roof and ripped off a significant portion.

Now, she’s figuring out how to repair it.

A roof inspector stopped by Thursday morning.

“He’s going to put a patch up there until they actually assess how much damage,” Smith said.

There are several contractors doing inspections in the area, like Mark Jacobby, a project manager for Elo Restoration.

“What’s the most common thread?’' Action News Jax Jessica Barreto asked.

“Wind damage, mostly,” Jacobby replied.

If a roof needs to be replaced, “you’re probably looking at an average of $15,000,” Jacobby explained.

His advice: “Contact a state-certified roofing contractor, and have them come out and do a free inspection.”

And let your insurance handle the paperwork.

“[State Farm] just told me not to sign any papers, signing the benefits over to anyone,” Smith explained. “That’s between State Farm and the contractor.”

Neighbors here are picking up the pieces as best as they can.

“It’s just a day-by-day process,” Smith said.

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