California’s Roofers Are Overbooked Due to El Niño Predictions for Winter

Even though El Niño isn’t expected to hit until winter, experts are saying that it’s not too early to begin thinking about protecting a home or property from the storm.

Throughout much of the United States, the cold and wet of winter can wreak havoc on a roof. Not only can dampness lead to mold and mildew, but if enough snow piles up on a roof, that roof can even cave in.

This leads homeowners to seek out other solutions, from installing steel roofing to getting new insulation to prevent ice dams.

“It’s important that homeowners inspect their roofs for potential risks such as shingles that are missing, damaged or worn out,” says Ray Farmer, President, American Metal Roofs. “With the growing trend of homeowners purchasing and installing metal roofing systems, this is reducing the amount of failed roofing scenarios. Having a metal roof installed without doing your homework on the contractor can lead to potential installation concerns. Choosing a metal roofing contractor will be one of the most important decisions the homeowner will make.”

California, especially, is expected to get hit hard, and roofing contractors are already booked to perform repairs and upgrades in anticipation.

Forecasts are calling for a wet and rainy winter throughout the Bay Area, and that’s led to a big problem for many people. Namely, some local roofers are already booked through to 2016.

In fact, many companies reported to NBC Bay Area that their phones began ringing back in May. A few have even had to let potential customers down by letting them know they couldn’t help them until next year.

Homeowner Melissa Crosby said that the upcoming storm may be what motivated people to make the call.

“I think it needed to be done, but El Niño sped up the process,” Crosby told NBC Bay Area.

According to one Bay Area contractor, the last time El Niño caused this kind of demand for roofing repairs was in the winter of 1997 to 1998. That was the year that the Bay Area saw record rainfall.

The Press Enterprise reports that El Niño systems are typically caused by warmer-than-usual waters in the Pacific Ocean. That heat, in turn, leads to more rain during the winter.

According to the National Weather Service, there is a more than 90% chance that El Niño will continue throughout the Northern Hemisphere this winter. They also predict an 85% chance that the storm could last into the early spring.