Roof and ceiling leaks after storms in Lexington
Water from above is a two-part problem. Someone has to close the hole in the roof, and someone has to dry what the water soaked on its way down through the attic, the insulation, the ceiling and the walls. Around Lexington, the Weather Service's storm pages show three ways that happens: wind, ice and falling trees.
Referral service, not a contractor. Your request goes to an independent Lexington-area restoration company. We do not do the drying or repairs.
The first hour under a wet ceiling
- Get out from under a sagging ceiling. A ceiling holding water can come down at once. Keep people and pets out of that room.
- Stay clear of wet wiring. If water is near light fixtures, outlets or the panel, shut the power to that area at the breaker only if you can reach it standing somewhere dry. Downed lines outside go to the power company; Kentucky Utilities takes outage reports at 800-981-0600.
- Catch and move. Buckets under the drips, furniture and electronics out of the room, rugs up.
- Photograph the ceiling, the attic if you can see in safely, and the outside of the roof from the ground.
- Do not climb onto an icy or storm-damaged roof. Covering the hole is a job for whoever you hire to do it.
For a tree or debris in a city street, LexCall, 311 or (859) 425-2255, can connect you to the right city division. For anything threatening life or property right now, the City says to dial 911.
What the NWS record shows
The National Weather Service office in Louisville, which covers Lexington, keeps event pages for its notable storms. Three of them show the ways roofs here get opened up.
WhatA line of storms brought wind gusts up to 80 mph in many areas, hail, and ten tornadoes across the region. Fayette County later received federal disaster assistance for these storms.
WhereNWS surveyors found straight-line wind damage along Versailles Road (US 60), consistently 60 to 65 mph, and about 70 mph at a strip mall at 1202 Versailles Rd, where roof panels were damaged. At the emergency services center on Cisco Road they put the wind at 80 mph. A trained spotter reported roof damage and trees down at Rt 4 and 421 on the northwest side.
WhatAn EF-1 tornado touched down on the northeast side of Nicholasville off US 27, with peak winds estimated at 110 mph over a 0.42-mile path.
WhereThe survey describes buildings in the Park Central Industrial Park with significant portions of their roofs torn apart. A second EF-1, near Pinckard on the Woodford and Jessamine line, peeled the roofs off two barns.
WhatThe Bluegrass Ice Storm: freezing rain from late afternoon on February 15 through the next morning. Lexington's storm total was 1.47 inches of freezing rain, and ice approached 1 inch on exposed branches and sidewalks.
WhereThe NWS says Frankfort and Lexington were hardest hit, many trees were destroyed, and many residents lost power for up to an entire week. It cites a Kentucky Public Service Commission report of 280,000 customers knocked out.
WhatOn February 9 and 10, snow and a thick glaze of freezing rain led NWS Louisville to issue its first Ice Storm Warning in possibly 12 years.
WhereA second storm followed on the 15th, and Lexington fell to 2 degrees on the morning of the 17th, according to the NWS February 2021 summary.
When the damage is a limb, not the wind
Ice storms open roofs indirectly. The weight of ice brings down limbs and whole trees, and the 2003 storm shows the scale: the NWS summary quotes a YMCA president describing trees that would groan, snap and crash as the ice fell, "over and over again." A limb through the roof lets in meltwater for days afterward, often while the power is out.
The power cut is its own risk. Kentucky American Water's winter tips, published by the City, warn that a loss of power during a winter storm could cause pipes to freeze, and they say frozen lines typically occur in crawl spaces or along outside walls. The burst pipe page covers what to do, and the local guide lists Lexington's recent freezes.
What a drying crew may do with a ceiling leak
- Finds the wet area with a meter, in the attic and in the ceiling below, before cutting anything.
- Pulls soaked insulation, which tends to hold water against the drywall.
- Opens sagging or stained drywall to let the cavity dry, then dries the framing and the walls the water ran down.
- Checks the floor at the bottom of the run; ceiling water often ends up in carpet or subfloor below.
The EPA's 24 to 48 hour drying window applies to ceilings too; the drying and mold page explains it. Typical national prices are on the cost page, and soaked insulation and drywall can go to the city's options on the debris page.
Roofer, tree service, restoration company
After a storm, the roof opening, the tree on it, and the wet house inside are often three different jobs. A roofer or the company doing the repairs covers the hole; a tree crew removes what fell on the house; a restoration company dries the inside. Ask each one in writing what they will do and what they will leave.
Bluegrass Dry-Out Referral handles none of these. It is a referral service for the drying part: a callback request is passed to an independent restoration company that covers your area when one is taking work.
Nearby towns
The April 2024 tornado path ran through Nicholasville, whose city utility lists its own numbers on the Nicholasville page. In Berea, the city utility also runs the electric system, and its after-hours line is on the Berea page. Other towns are on the service areas page.
Roof and ceiling questions
Should I poke a hole in a ceiling that is bulging with water?
Keep people out of the room first; a ceiling holding water can fall without warning. Whether to drain it is a judgment for the person on site. Do not stand under it, and keep electrical fixtures in that ceiling switched off at the breaker if you can do that safely.
How strong were the April 2, 2024 winds in Lexington?
NWS surveyors found straight-line wind damage along Versailles Road consistent with 60 to 65 mph, about 70 mph at 1202 Versailles Rd, and 80 mph at the emergency services center on Cisco Road. An EF-1 tornado with estimated peak winds of 110 mph touched down in Nicholasville.
Who do I call about a tree down in the road after a storm?
For a city street, LexCall at 311 or (859) 425-2255 can connect you to the right city division. If power lines are involved, stay away and report it to the power company; Kentucky Utilities' outage line is 800-981-0600. Dial 911 if anyone is in danger.