Homeowner Guide

West Texas Storm Season: Roof Leaks, Wind-Driven Rain and the Cleanup After

From April through the fall, Lubbock's weather can deliver a month of rain in an afternoon — sideways. Storm-season water damage here has three distinct causes, and each one needs a different first response.

Roof leaks under wind: rain driven at 50 mph goes uphill — under shingles, into vents, behind flashing. The ceiling stain you see is the end of a path that started higher and further away, and the attic insulation along that path is wet even where the ceiling looks fine. Ground flooding: playa lakes rise, flat streets pond, and water enters at door thresholds and garage doors — treat this water as contaminated, because it is. Power-related failures: outages stop sump and ejector pumps and disable HVAC condensate management, so some storm losses are discovered a day later as a wet closet or a swollen baseboard.

After any major storm, walk the house once with fresh eyes: ceilings for new stains, exterior walls for bubbling paint, closets for musty smells, and the attic if you can access it safely. Caught within a day, storm water is a drying job. Caught in a month, it is a mold and materials job. And if the whole city is calling at once, text (806) 217-9635 with your neighborhood and the problem — dispatch calls you back.