Your roof is leaking after a coastal storm. What should you do?

Right now

1. Turn off power to rooms where water is near lights, fans or outlets.
2. Catch and contain the water; move furniture, rugs and electronics.
3. Relieve a bulging ceiling by making a small hole at the low point over a bucket, if it is safe and the power is off.
4. Photograph and video the leak, the stains and the room.
5. Cover the roof once wind and rain allow. Never go up during a storm or on wet metal.
6. Start drying within a day or two: fans, dehumidifiers and removing soaked materials. Keep receipts.

Wind-driven rain: why coastal leaks are different

Short answer: strong wind can push water sideways and even uphill under shingles, through ridge and soffit vents, around windows and through walls, so a leak does not always mean a hole in the roof.

Florence dropped 23.02 inches of rain at Wilmington's airport over several days, with a 105 mph gust there, according to the National Weather Service. Rain driven that hard can find openings that stay dry in ordinary storms. Common entry points on Cape Fear homes:

• Ridge vents and turbine vents, where wind forces rain through.
• Soffit vents on the windward side.
• Pipe boots, skylights and chimney flashing.
• Lifted or missing shingles at edges and ridges.
• Siding, windows and doors on the ocean-facing side.

Is the leak covered?

Short answer: often, when sudden storm damage created the opening. Policies differ on rain driven through openings the storm did not create, and they generally exclude wear, deterioration and flood.

Interior damage from a covered leak is usually part of the same claim. If you have both an NCIUA wind policy and a homeowners policy, report to both if you are unsure which applies.

Showing the leak came from the storm

• The leak started during or right after a storm with an official report for that date (see the Storm Center).
• Photos of new damage on the roof above the leak.
• A roofer's written note on what opened up and why.
• Before-season photos showing the roof was intact.

Finding where water gets in

1. Check the attic with a flashlight during or right after rain; water often runs along rafters before dripping.
2. Look uphill from the stain: vents, boots, chimneys, valleys and wall joints.
3. Mark wet decking with chalk and photograph it.
4. Let a roofer find and seal the opening.

Mold in coastal humidity

Warm, humid air makes mold grow fast. Dry drywall, insulation and flooring within a day or two, remove soaked insulation, and photograph everything before it goes to the curb. Many policies limit mold coverage, so quick drying protects both the house and the claim.

Why speed matters

Policies require reasonable steps to prevent more damage. Weeks of continued leaking can reduce what the insurer pays. The NC Department of Insurance advises temporary repairs, such as tarps, with receipts kept.

What about winter?

Ice and snow are uncommon here. NOAA records heavy snow on only four dates in the three counties from 2009 to 2011, plus a handful of winter storms since, so ice dams are rare. Most Cape Fear leaks come from wind-driven rain.

Coastal leaks often come from wind-driven rain forced under flashing and shingles during tropical storms and nor'easters, even when no shingles blew off.