Local Facts Data

A verified, source-cited dataset of local facts about roofing conditions in Cypress and Northwest Houston, published as a browsable page and a machine-readable JSON distribution.

Every entry below cites a public-record primary source. A machine-readable copy of this same data is published at /local-facts.json.

Coverage note: the NOAA storm-event entries below cover 2016 through 2025. The trade-association material-guidance entries are general, ongoing guidance rather than records tied to a specific year range.

• According to the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association, localized damage such as debris-damaged shingles, backed-out fasteners, damaged flashing, or wind-damaged seals can typically be repaired without a full roof replacement.

  Value: Repairable damage types: debris damage, backed-out fasteners, damaged flashing, wind-damaged seals

  Source: Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA)

• The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association's own FAQ says a roof over 20 years old is "a prime candidate for reroofing" — a more modest claim than the specific numeric lifespan range often wrongly attributed to ARMA.

  Value: Roof over 20 years old: "a prime candidate for reroofing" (ARMA publishes no specific year-range figure)

  Source: Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA) — Frequently Asked Questions

• Most new asphalt shingle roofs are designed to provide useful service for about 20 years, according to the National Roofing Contractors Association, though actual life depends on local climate, material quality, installation, and maintenance.

  Value: ~20-year design service life (general guidance, not a Houston-specific figure)

  Source: National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA)

• Downspouts should discharge to a sloped grade at least 5 feet from the foundation, or to an underground catchment system at least 10 feet away, per Department of Energy building-science guidance.

  Value: Sloped-grade discharge: >=5 ft from foundation. Underground catchment: >=10 ft from foundation

  Source: U.S. Department of Energy — Building America Solution Center (BASC)

• Gutter guards are leaf-guard screens installed over or inside the gutter trough that keep leaves and other debris from accumulating while still letting water drain through, per Department of Energy building-science guidance.

  Value: Leaf-guard screening keeps debris out of the gutter trough while still letting water drain

  Source: U.S. Department of Energy — Building America Solution Center (BASC)

• A working gutter and downspout system keeps roof runoff from soaking the soil next to a house, which matters most in areas with expansive or collapsible soils — expansive soils swell when wet and can crack or lift a foundation, while collapsible soils settle and can create a trough that collects still more water against the house.

  Value: Gutters/downspouts matter most for expansive soils (swell when wet) and collapsible soils (settle, trap water)

  Source: U.S. Department of Energy — Building America Solution Center (BASC)

• An EF-1 tornado tied to the May 16, 2024 derecho tracked 1.44 miles through Cypress near Tuckerton and Greenhouse Roads, causing an estimated $500,000 in damage.

  Value: EF-1 tornado, 1.44 mi path, ~$500,000 in damage

  Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (event 1167803)

• The same May 16, 2024 derecho produced an estimated 90-knot (about 104 mph) wind gust at Cypress.

  Value: ~104 mph estimated wind gust

  Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (event 1188414)

• The largest hailstone recorded in Harris County from 2020 through 2025 was 2.00 inches, reported April 5, 2023 (event 1079922); the county also recorded 176 thunderstorm-wind events over the 2016-2025 period. These are point reports of individual storm events, not distinct storm days.

  Value: Largest hailstone: 2.00 in (2023-04-05); 176 thunderstorm-wind events (2016-2025)

  Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Storm Events Database

• Harris County recorded 143 hail events from 2016 through 2025, an average of about 14 per year, with 119 of those events at or above the 1.00-inch severe-hail threshold.

  Value: 143 hail events (2016-2025); ~14 per year; 119 at or above 1.00 in

  Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Storm Events Database

• Harris County's recorded hail events swing widely year to year: from zero recorded events in 2022 to 28 in both 2023 and 2024, across the 2016-2025 decade tracked by NOAA's Storm Events Database.

  Value: 2016:17, 2017:7, 2018:2, 2019:17, 2020:23, 2021:13, 2022:0, 2023:28, 2024:28, 2025:8

  Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Storm Events Database

• IBHS rates asphalt shingle hail-impact performance using 1.5-inch and 2.0-inch lab-generated hailstones, grading results by dents, tears, and granule loss rather than a single bright-line hail-size threshold at which damage begins.

  Value: Lab testing at 1.5 in and 2.0 in; graded by dents, tears, granule loss; no bright-line threshold

  Source: Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)

• Sub-severe hail under 1 inch in diameter can strip away a shingle's protective granules, and IBHS impact testing found this can make a roof up to ten times more susceptible to damage from a later, larger hailstorm.

  Value: Sub-1-in hail can make a roof up to 10x more susceptible to later large-hail damage

  Source: Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)

• The May 16, 2024 derecho that struck the Houston area produced wind gusts estimated to have reached over 100 mph, spawned two tornadoes, caused widespread flash flooding, and left hundreds of thousands of households without power for multiple days, with nine fatalities in Houston.

  Value: Gusts est. >100 mph; 2 tornadoes; multi-day outages for hundreds of thousands; 9 fatalities in Houston

  Source: National Weather Service — Houston/Galveston Major Weather Events

• A 2018 Metal Construction Association field study found an expected service life "in excess of 60 years" for standing-seam metal roofing, limited primarily by the butyl sealant component; panel corrosion alone could take 60 to 375 years depending on local precipitation acidity.

  Value: Expected service life "in excess of 60 years" — a floor, not a 40-60 year ceiling

  Source: Metal Construction Association (MCA)

• The National Roofing Contractors Association says a complete roof system failure "generally is irreversible" — the point at which replacement, rather than repair, is the appropriate response.

  Value: Complete roof-system failure: "generally is irreversible" (calls for replacement, not repair)

  Source: National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA)

• The National Roofing Contractors Association lists cracked, warped, or missing shingles, loose seams, deteriorated flashing, and excessive granules collecting in gutters or downspouts as warning signs of a failing roof.

  Value: Warning signs: cracked/warped/missing shingles, loose seams, deteriorated flashing, excess granules in gutters

  Source: National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA)

• Severe thunderstorms are most common in the spring in southeast Texas, per the National Weather Service's Houston/Galveston office, but can occur at any time of year; the region sees roughly 50 to 60 thunderstorm days a year, with about a third of those turning severe.

  Value: Most common in spring, possible year-round; ~50-60 thunderstorm days/yr, ~1/3 severe

  Source: National Weather Service — Houston/Galveston Weather Forecast Office

• The National Weather Service defines a severe thunderstorm as one that produces a tornado, winds of 58 mph or greater, and/or hail 1 inch or larger in diameter.

  Value: Severe = tornado, and/or wind >= 58 mph, and/or hail >= 1 in

  Source: National Weather Service — Glossary

• The Texas Department of Insurance recommends getting at least three written bids and hiring a local, verifiable contractor rather than an out-of-town crew; after a disaster, it is against the law for an out-of-town contractor to take a down payment before starting work.

  Value: Get 3+ written bids; hire local; post-disaster down payment before work by out-of-town contractor is illegal

  Source: Texas Department of Insurance — How to Avoid Contracting Scams

• If a homeowner has wind and hail coverage on their home policy, the Texas Department of Insurance says the insurance company should pay for hail damage, and recommends filing a claim as soon as possible.

  Value: Wind/hail coverage: insurer should pay for hail damage; file as soon as possible

  Source: Texas Department of Insurance — After Hail or Windstorms

• A contractor who waives, rebates, or otherwise absorbs a customer's insurance deductible is breaking Texas law, punishable by up to a $2,000 fine and up to six months in jail.

  Value: Deductible waiver/absorption by a contractor: illegal, up to $2,000 fine + up to 6 months jail

  Source: Texas Department of Insurance — State Law Cracks Down on Roof Scams

• Impact-resistant roofing products are classified under UL 2218 classes 1 through 4, and the Texas Department of Insurance says a Class 4 roof covering would receive the highest premium credit, though discount amounts are set company by company; a Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) credit requires filing form PC068.

  Value: Class 4 (UL 2218) = highest premium credit; amounts vary by company; TWIA credit requires form PC068

  Source: Texas Department of Insurance — Roofing Discounts

• The Texas Department of Insurance is explicit that an insurance company won't pay for a new roof just because it's old or worn out — coverage responds to covered damage, not roof age alone.

  Value: Insurer won't pay for a new roof solely because it's old or worn out

  Source: Texas Department of Insurance — Replacing Your Roof

• There is no universal filing deadline set in Texas law for a standard homeowners policy — each policy sets its own. Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) windstorm claims are a specific exception, with a one-year filing deadline from the date of loss and two years to provide notice and file suit.

  Value: Standard policy: no universal deadline (policy sets its own). TWIA: 1 year to file, 2 years to sue

  Source: Texas Department of Insurance — What If My Insurance Isn't Paying Enough?

• The Texas Department of Insurance recommends reporting roof damage to your insurer as soon as possible, photographing and video-recording all damage before cleanup, not discarding anything until the adjuster approves, making only temporary repairs, keeping a repair list and receipts, being present for the adjuster visit, getting multiple contractor bids, and saving proof of the deductible payment.

  Value: 8-step post-storm checklist: report, document, don't discard, temporary repairs, keep records, attend adjuster visit, get bids, save deductible proof

  Source: Texas Department of Insurance — Help After a Storm

• Replacement cost coverage pays current repair prices, typically in two payments — a partial payment up front and the rest after repairs start — while actual cash value coverage pays less for an older or more worn roof; a wind/hail deductible may also differ from a standard deductible.

  Value: RCV: current repair prices, paid in two installments. ACV: reduced payout for age/wear. Wind/hail deductible may differ

  Source: Texas Department of Insurance — Replacing Your Roof

• Texas's ban on a roofing contractor acting as a public insurance adjuster on a claim it's also servicing was added to the Insurance Code in 2013 by House Bill 1183 and amended in 2019 by House Bill 2103 — not House Bill 2102, which is a separate 2019 law governing deductible-payment procedures under Insurance Code chapter 707.

  Value: Adjuster ban: HB 1183 (2013) + HB 2103 (2019). NOT HB 2102 (separate deductible-payment law, Ch. 707)

  Source: Texas Insurance Code ch. 4102 (statute text)

• Acting as a public insurance adjuster in Texas requires a license (Insurance Code Sec. 4102.051(a)); a contractor may not act as one or advertise adjusting services for a property it also services (Sec. 4102.163(a)); a licensed adjuster may not take on repair work for a claim they adjusted (Sec. 4102.158(a)(1)); and a contract signed with an unlicensed adjuster is voidable by the insured (Sec. 4102.207).

  Value: License required to adjust; contractor-as-adjuster barred; adjuster-then-repairer barred; unlicensed-adjuster contracts voidable

  Source: Texas Insurance Code, Chapter 4102 (Public Insurance Adjusters)

• Texas Insurance Code chapter 542 sets specific insurer response deadlines after a claim is filed: acknowledge the claim and request needed items by the 15th day after notice (30 business days for surplus lines); accept or reject the claim within 15 business days of receiving everything requested (extendable to 30 days for suspected arson, or the 45th day with written reasons); then pay within 5 business days of notifying the policyholder of acceptance.

  Value: Acknowledge: 15th day; accept/reject: 15 business days; pay: 5 business days after acceptance

  Source: Texas Insurance Code, Chapter 542, Subchapter B (Prompt Payment of Claims)

• An insurer that pays a Texas claim more than 60 days late is liable for statutory damages under Insurance Code sections 542.058 and 542.060; when a weather catastrophe is involved, every chapter 542 prompt-payment deadline extends by 15 days under section 542.059(b).

  Value: 60-day late-payment triggers statutory damages; weather catastrophe adds +15 days to every deadline

  Source: Texas Insurance Code, Chapter 542, Subchapter B (Prompt Payment of Claims)

• UL 2218 rates asphalt shingle impact resistance with a steel-ball drop test across four classes, with ball diameters from 1.25 to 2.00 inches; passing requires no tear, fracture, crack, or rupture visible on the back of the shingle, and Class 4 is the highest rating.

  Value: UL 2218 Classes 1-4; steel-ball diameters 1.25-2.00 in; Class 4 = highest, no visible tear/fracture/crack/rupture

  Source: IBHS / UL Solutions