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Roof leaks and storm water inside the house

Storm and Roof Leak Water Damage in Canton, GA

Storm water gets in through the roof, a window frame, a door sill or the foundation, and it often shows as a stain or a soft spot far from where it entered. In Canton, Hickory Flat, Free Home, Sixes and Macedonia, call (678) 658-3988 once the weather has cleared and the room is safe, and say where the water came in.

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Blue tarp held down on the storm-damaged roof of a brick-and-stone house

January 2023: the Etowah River Park closure

FOX 5 reported on 4 January 2023 that flooding after severe weather closed the trail east of Etowah River Park in Canton and, for a time, Heritage Park, with about 3.61 inches of rain in Canton over 24 hours. A flood warning was in effect with no crest time given. Canton's rain gauge normals show 3.7 days a year in January with at least half an inch, so a night like that is unusual, not unheard of.

What the contractor can look at

  1. Call (678) 658-3988, then say where the rain got in and what the weather has done; the contractor arranges a visit.
  2. A moisture survey from the entry point outward: attic floor, ceiling, walls and trim.
  3. A look at wet insulation. Pennsylvania's guide says ceiling insulation is removed so the joists can dry.
  4. A drying plan, and a note on the roof, window or flashing repair itself, which belongs to a different trade.
  5. A list of what to keep for a claim. The Georgia insurance commissioner's tips ask for photographs, receipts and temporary measures only.
  6. Repair options, and which parts bring paperwork; the offices page names the desks.

Step back and get help if

  • A power line down or hanging low outside: keep well back, warn the neighbors, and phone 911 or the electric utility.

  • Water in a room with outlets, fixtures or a panel wet: stay on dry floor, keep off the switches, and leave and call 911 at any sign of sparking or burning.

  • A gas smell, or a generator running close to the house: get outside. The CDC keeps a gasoline engine outdoors and at least 20 feet clear of every opening: doors, windows and vents. For gas, 911 answers, and so does Atlanta Gas Light on 877.427.4321.

  • Sagging or bulging ceiling below the leak: do not stand beneath it, and keep the room clear of people and pets. Looking at the roof means looking from the ground, never from a ladder on wet gutters or from the shingles themselves.

After the storm: what costs a claim or a ceiling

  • Fixing the roof permanently before photographing it. The commissioner's tips say to document, and to limit work to temporary measures.

  • Climbing up to see for yourself. Look from the ground.

  • Throwing out wet items without a list. NAIC asks claimants to list damaged property.

  • Assuming the stain is the whole story. Water travels along framing and insulation before it shows.

Looks from the doorway

Keep to checks that feel easy from the doorway. None of them needs a tool, a ladder or a step into standing water.

  • Keep your feet on the ground and look over the roof edge, the gutters and the downspouts. UGA's checklist asks for gutters that are intact and clear of debris.

  • Check window sills and door thresholds for staining, softened trim or water lines.

  • Walk the outside of the foundation and note where water pooled and whether downspouts empty 6 to 10 feet away.

  • Photograph the outside of the house and each wet spot indoors before a tarp or a repair covers anything.

Sorting a storm leak in five steps

  1. Confirm the weather has passed and nothing outside is hazardous, such as a downed line.

  2. Walk the inside of the house with a flashlight and find every wet surface.

  3. Take a lap around the outside, staying on the ground, and note the roof edge, gutters, sills and foundation.

  4. Photograph both walks, and keep every receipt for temporary measures.

  5. Call (678) 658-3988 with the list and where water seemed to enter.

Three short answers

How urgent is a storm leak?

Red: a downed line, a sagging ceiling, water at wiring or a gas smell. Move away first; 911 or the utility gets the call. Amber: water has stopped coming in and the room is wet. Use the call button and say where it entered. Green: a small stain beneath a known repair that is not growing.

Which photos come first, before anyone tarps the roof?

NAIC's checklist opens with the deductible, then asks for photos, video, an inventory of damaged property and receipts for repairs. Georgia's insurance commissioner adds that temporary covers are fine when safe and that major repairs go to professionals. The insurer alone decides what a policy pays.

Does the line cover Hickory Flat, Free Home, Sixes and Macedonia too?

Yes. Storm water in Canton, Hickory Flat, Free Home, Sixes, GA and Macedonia, GA reaches the same contractor.

Who to ask about paperwork

Roof repairs: the pages read here say nothing

Cherokee County's residential permit page lists new homes, additions, renovations, basement finishes and larger accessory buildings. It does not mention roof repair, so the Development Service Center, (770) 721-7810, is the place to ask for an unincorporated address. For Canton, ask Building and Safety Services at 770-704-1551. The offices page has both.

Side notes

Checked 1 Nov 2026

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