Roofing Industry Committee On Weather Issues, Inc.

Investigation Programs

Hurricane and Hail Investigation Programs

RICOWI has implemented two strategic investigation programs:

The purpose of the programs is to:

Investigate the field performance of roofing assemblies after major hurricane and hailstorm events;
To factually describe roof assembly performance and modes of damage;
To formally report the results for substantiated hurricane / hail events.

The data collected will provide unbiased detailed information on the wind and hail resistance of low-slope and steep-slope roofing systems from credible investigative teams. We can expect a greater industry understanding of what causes roofs to perform or fail in severe wind and hail events, leading to overall improvements in roof system durability, the reduction of waste generation from re-roofing activities, and a reduction in insurance losses that will lead to lower overall costs for the public. The reports and multimedia presentation will document roofing systems that fail or survive major weather events and will provide educational materials for roofing professionals to design wind and hail resistant roofing systems. All data will be used to improve building codes, roof systems design, and educate the industry and the public.