How storm water gets in
Puget Sound storms are usually long and steady more than violent, and that is what wears houses down. Common ways rain ends up inside:
- Roof leaks around chimneys, skylights and valleys, often after wind lifts shingles.
- Gutters clogged with needles and leaves that overflow against the siding and down the foundation.
- Downspouts that empty right next to the house instead of into a drain line.
- Groundwater on hillside lots that pushes through foundation walls and into lower floors.
- Windows and doors with failed seals that let wind-driven rain through.
What a crew handles
The crew removes standing water, pulls out wet drywall, insulation and flooring that will not dry in place, and sets equipment to dry the structure. They document everything for insurance. If the roof is still leaking, many companies can tarp it until a roofer can make repairs.
Insurance and storm water
A standard homeowners policy usually covers water that comes through a roof opening caused by wind or a falling tree. It usually does not cover surface water flooding or groundwater seeping through the foundation. That takes separate flood coverage, and seepage is often excluded from both. Our hillside drainage guide explains the difference.
Storm water on Edmonds slopes and shoreline
Edmonds weather is mostly about volume. A wet stretch in November and December can soak the ground for weeks, and once it is saturated, hillside lots start pushing water toward the lowest point they can find. That is often a daylight basement or a crawl space on the downhill side of the house.
The coastal bluffs from Meadowdale down toward Woodway are among the slopes that geologists watch closely for slides during wet winters, and drainage on those lots matters. Downspouts and footing drains that send roof water into the slope, instead of a proper drain line, add to the problem.
Down at the shoreline, storm surge and king tides can push Puget Sound water over the seawall. During the December 2022 king tide, water came over the wall near the Edmonds marina and closed the road there. Inland, winter storms flooded homes near Perrinville Creek often enough that the city built a diversion structure off Talbot Road in 2021.
Wherever the water comes from, drying needs to start quickly. In our cool, damp air, wet framing and insulation do not dry on their own. Crews cover the 98020 and 98026 ZIP codes and nearby Woodway, Mukilteo, Shoreline and Mountlake Terrace.