48.34 inches of rain in a normal year
The Weather Service's 1991 to 2020 normals put Louisville International at 48.34 inches of precipitation a year, with May the wettest month at 5.18 inches. That is a 2000 square foot roof shedding about 60,200 gallons a year.
What it changes. Synthetic underlayment across the whole deck, not felt. Ice and water shield in every valley and around every penetration. Gutters and downspouts sized to the roof area. The gutter arithmetic, for your house.
13.4 inches of snow, and 22 below zero on record
A normal winter brings 13.4 inches of snow, and the record low at the airport is 22 below zero, set on 19 January 1994. What matters to a roof is not the cold, it is the crossing: weeks that freeze at night and thaw by noon, over and over.
What it changes. Ice and water shield at the eaves, where snowmelt refreezes into the dam that backs water under the shingles. Ridge and soffit ventilation that keeps the deck cold and even, so the melt does not start from underneath. Pipe boots and flashing checked at every inspection, because the freeze and thaw is what cracks them.
Hail to two inches, from March into July
The storm reports say when the hail comes. Inch stones at Middletown on 2 April 2024. An inch and a half in Shively and Meadowview Estates on 15 March 2025, with two inch stones across the river the same morning. Quarter size and larger in the storms of June and August 2026 across the area.
What it changes. The shingle. Each maker we are certified with has a UL 2218 Class 4 impact rated line, and on a Louisville roof it is the line we start the conversation with. The three, side by side.
Wind to 145 mph
An EF3 at 145 mph crossed east Louisville on 2 April 2025, from Watterson Trail to Long Run Road. An EF2 at 120 mph came across the Ohio into Prospect a year earlier. A 69 mph gust was recorded at the airport in the March 2025 hailstorm.
What it changes. Six nails a shingle, not four. Starter strip at every eave and rake. Ridge cap that is rated, not cut from three tab. And the maker's wind warranty registered in your name, which is what the certification is for. What the certifications mean.
The record, so far
Louisville's hottest day on record is 107 degrees, reached three times, most recently in July 1936. A roof here takes both ends of that.
- 2 April 2024. An EF2 tornado at 120 mph out of Utica, across the Ohio into Prospect, lifting by the Sleepy Hollow golf course in Oldham County, 22 injured. A second EF2 at Buckner. Inch hail at Middletown. The report.
- 26 May 2024. Widespread damaging winds and several tornadoes across the area, in two waves of storms. The report.
- 4 July 2024. Two brief tornadoes over southern Indiana and the Louisville Metro. The report.
- 15 March 2025. Hail to an inch and a half in Shively and Meadowview Estates, two inch stones across the river, a 69 mph gust at the airport, and trees on houses on Halstead Avenue and in St Matthews. The report.
- 30 March 2025. An EF1 at 100 mph through south Louisville near Fairdale, one injured. The report.
- 2 April 2025. An EF3 at 145 mph through east Louisville, from Watterson Trail to Long Run Road, nine and a half miles, across the I-265 and I-64 interchange, in the same week as the historic flooding. The report.
- 15 March 2026. Multiple EF1 tornadoes and straight line wind damage across the area, structures damaged at Mount Washington. The report.
- 18 June 2026. Trees through houses in Shively and southwest Louisville, water rescues at Hurstbourne Parkway and Six Mile Lane, an EF2 across the river. The report.
- 16 August 2026. A tree on a house on Terry Road in Valley Station. Trees on homes and roof damage in Shepherdsville. The report.
Normals from the National Weather Service, Louisville, 1991 to 2020 monthly, seasonal and annual normals, read 17 September 2026.
Records from the National Weather Service, Louisville climatology, read 17 September 2026.
Storm reports from the National Weather Service, Louisville, read 17 September 2026.
Free roof inspections, as many as you need, all year. Fast. Honest. Elite. That's the whole promise: we come out fast, we tell you what we found and show you the pictures, then if your roof is fine we say so. Storm damage, repairs, full replacements, siding, gutters, soffit and fascia, throughout Louisville. A roof that keeps the weather out, and the photographs to carry the claim.
Questions people ask
A storm just came through. What do I do?
Call (502) 915-9758 or text a photo of what you can see from the ground. We come out, get on the roof, photograph everything, and tell you straight whether it is a repair, a claim or nothing at all. The inspection is free, every time.
Do you handle the insurance claim?
We do the part a roofer is allowed to do, and all of it. We photograph the damage, give you a written estimate, and once you have filed we meet your adjuster on the roof and walk them through what we found. Kentucky law leaves the negotiating to you or a licensed public adjuster, and we would not have it any other way. How a claim goes, step by step.
What does the free inspection cover?
The whole roof, the flashing, the vents and boots, the gutters, the siding, the soffit and fascia. You get the photographs and a plain answer. Unlimited, year round.
What shingles do you install?
GAF, CertainTeed and Owens Corning. Our inspectors carry certifications from all three.
Is the inspection really free?
Yes. Every time, all year, and there is no catch. If the roof is fine, you hear that too.
I already have an estimate. Will you look at it?
Bring it. We look at the roof and the estimate and tell you straight.
Where do you work?
Louisville and the area around it. Not sure if that's you? Call and ask.
Who shows up?
Deonta Simpson, Louisville. Lightning Louisville Roofing and Renovation. He is the one on the roof in the pictures.