Most roofing problems require what's known as prompt care — you can make an appointment a week or two down the road and be just fine. This is true if your roof is missing a couple of shingles or if your flashing starts peeling away after a big storm. These things need to be taken care of soon, but no major harm will come from waiting a couple of days. There are, however, other roofing problems that are far more urgent. If you notice any of the following issues, don't wait another second before calling an emergency roofing team.

Your roof is making creaking noises.

If you hear cracking or creaking noises during a storm or after a heavy snowfall and you suspect they might be coming from the roof, then you need to call a roofing contractor ASAP. While the creaking could just be the result of some natural settling or a gutter that is coming loose, it's also possible that the wood that lies under your roofing shingles — known as the underlayment — is starting to crack or show damage. This could end in the roof collapsing or caving in, so you need to have a roofer take a look right away so they can support the roof, where needed, to prevent that from happening.

Your roof appears to be sagging.

Maybe the roof appears to already have started sagging or caving in. You can sometimes see the sag when you look across the roof from the ground. Other times, it will be more noticeable in the attic. Some boards may be bowed towards the floor or cracked entirely. A sagging roof is a roof that could collapse at any minute, so call an emergency roofer and stay out of the home's top floor until they're able to take a look.

Tar paper is visible and flapping.

Usually, a couple of missing shingles are not an emergency because the shingles underneath them will give the roof some protection. And if not those underlying shingles, then the tar paper will form at least a somewhat waterproof barrier. However, if the tar paper beneath the shingles has also peeled off and is flapping around, that means all that's left of your roof in that area is the wood. Wood alone won't keep the elements out, making this a roofing emergency.

If you are ever unsure whether something is a roofing emergency, just call a roofing company like Roofers of Minnesota Co. and ask. They'll let you know whether they need to address the issue that day or whether it can wait a bit.