La. Blue Roof Warranty Following Hurricane Lasts Only 30 Days

The free blue plastic sheeting installed on 78,700 hurricane-damaged roofs in Louisiana carries only a 30-day warranty, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

Operation Blue Roof provides sheeting to residential structures, schools, daycares, public facilities and, in some cases, buildings such as churches if they are being used as shelters or relief locations. The program is active in Orleans, St. Bernard and Jefferson parishes.

“It allows short-term relief while the property owner explores permanent roof replacement options,” said Joe Swiniarski of USACE, which manages the operation for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

To receive the blue sheeting, homeowners must call the Operation Blue Roof Call-In Center at 1-888-ROOF- BLU (766-3258). They also must sign a Right-of-Entry (ROE) form, which is available at a Disaster Recovery Center (current list below). A form can be faxed to a client by calling 1-866-632-0030 but it is not available through the internet.

The sheeting can only be put on pitched, asphalt-shingled roofs that have at least 50 percent of their substructure remaining. Property owners must remove any fallen trees from a roof prior to sheeting installation. After it is secured, the sheeting becomes the homeowner’s responsibility to maintain.

ROE forms, which must be returned by Jan. 7, are available at the following Disaster Recovery Centers:

St. Bernard Parish
8101 W. Judge Perez Rd.
Chalmette, La. 70043
HOURS: Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Disaster Recovery Center #4
101 France Street
Baton Rouge, La.
HOURS: Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Disaster Recovery Center #20
Laurel Elementary School
820 Jackson Ave.
New Orleans, La. 70130
HOURS: Mon.-Sat. 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Disaster Recovery Center #34
Jewish Community Center
5342 St. Charles Ave.
New Orleans, La. 70115
HOURS: Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Disaster Recovery Center #54
New Orleans Public Library
219 Loyola Ave.
(on corner of Loyola & Tulane Ave.)
New Orleans, La. 70112
HOURS: Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Disaster Recovery Center #55
Lake Forest Plaza Mall, Parking Lot 3
I-10 Exit 244, Read Blvd.
New Orleans, La. 70127
HOURS: Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.