The Florida Panhandle from Ivan to Michael, and how to vet a roofer there

Ivan, 2004: the Pensacola side of an Alabama landfall

Ivan's center came ashore just west of Gulf Shores, Alabama, at about 0650 UTC on September 16, 2004 as a 105 kt hurricane, but NHC places the narrow band of strongest winds over Perdido Key and Perdido Bay, west of Pensacola Naval Air Station. The highest official wind report came from that air station: 76 kt sustained with a gust of 93 kt.

NHC's Ivan report describes 10 to 15 ft of storm surge from Destin westward, waves on top of that surge that severely damaged sections of the Interstate 10 bridge system across Pensacola Bay, and a Perdido Key that was "essentially leveled." It also counts thousands of damaged or destroyed homes across Escambia, Santa Rosa and neighboring Baldwin County.

Dennis, 2005: Santa Rosa Island

Ten months later, Dennis made landfall on Santa Rosa Island between Navarre Beach and Gulf Breeze around 1930 UTC on July 10, 2005 with winds of 105 kt and a central pressure of 946 mb. NHC measured a surge of 6 to 7 ft above normal tide levels on Santa Rosa Island near the landfall point.

Michael, 2018: Mexico Beach and Tyndall

Michael's eye reached the coast near Tyndall Air Force Base, southeast of Panama City, near 1730 UTC on October 10, 2018 with estimated winds of 140 kt, category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Its 919 mb landfall pressure is the third lowest for a U.S. hurricane landfall since reliable records began in 1900, and NHC notes it is the latest-in-season category 5 landfall on record for the United States.

NHC estimates storm surge inundation of 9 to 14 ft above ground from just southeast of Tyndall to Port St. Joe, across Bay and Gulf counties, with the peak in Mexico Beach. FEMA's major disaster declaration DR-4399 covered Bay, Gulf and Okaloosa counties.

Sally, 2020: a slow storm on the western end

Sally made landfall at Gulf Shores around 0945 UTC on September 16, 2020 with 95 kt winds, and the combination of surge and tide produced 5 to 7 ft of inundation along the Escambia and Santa Rosa coasts. NHC's Sally report adds that the upper reaches of Escambia and Blackwater Bays probably saw 6 to 7 ft, freshwater and surge flooding put 2 to 4 ft of water into parts of downtown Pensacola, and a gauge just west of Pensacola Naval Air Station collected 24.88 inches of rain, Florida's highest total from the storm. FEMA's DR-4564 included all five of these counties.

Tornadoes and hail between hurricanes

NOAA's Storm Events Database records, for 2016 through 2025, 22 tornadoes and 20 hail events of 1 inch or larger in Bay County, 11 tornadoes and 19 such hail events in Escambia County, and 12 hail events of 1 inch or larger in Santa Rosa County. Three entries show what those numbers mean for a roof:

• On January 9, 2024 a tornado moved onshore at Lower Grand Lagoon in Panama City Beach with winds estimated at 140 mph, an EF3 that destroyed a beachfront home.
• On February 23, 2016 an EF3 tornado in the Ferry Pass area left significant roof damage on Lansing Drive before crossing Interstate 10 near Pensacola.
• On March 26, 2005 baseball-size hail near Milton damaged helicopters and airplanes at Whiting Field Naval Air Station.

Checking a Panhandle roofer

No affiliate on FRSA's affiliate council page carries a Panhandle name, so the practical tool here is FRSA's member directory, searched by Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Bay or Gulf county. NRCA's member directory can also be filtered to Pensacola or Panama City.

For the license, the state's licensee search works by city or county. A roofer certified by the state can take work here without meeting any county's separate competency test, while a registered roofer is confined to the local jurisdictions for which its registration was issued, as DBPR's license types page explains.

Browse roofers listed in Pensacola, Panama City, Destin and Fort Walton Beach, or see them here:

Frequently asked questions

Was Hurricane Michael really a category 5 at landfall?

Yes. NHC's post-storm analysis set Michael's landfall intensity at 140 kt, which is category 5, and named it the strongest hurricane landfall of record in the Florida Panhandle.

How deep was the storm surge in Mexico Beach?

NHC estimates that normally dry ground near the average high tide line in Mexico Beach saw as much as 14 ft of inundation from Michael's surge.

Is there an FRSA affiliate for Pensacola or Panama City?

None of the groups on FRSA's affiliate list is named for the Panhandle. Use FRSA's county search to find contractor members, then confirm each license with DBPR.

Which FEMA declarations followed Hurricane Sally here?

FEMA issued emergency declaration EM-3546 and major disaster declaration DR-4564, both covering Bay, Escambia, Gulf, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties. For live warnings, use the National Roofing Directory's Florida storm center.