Seattle gets its rain sideways. The November through February storms that matter here arrive with wind, and wind-driven rain is what finds the weak points in a roof: lifted shingles, cracked flashing at a chimney or skylight, a plugged gutter that sends water back under the eave, a valley full of fir needles. A roof that has been fine for ten dry summers leaks in the first real atmospheric river of the season.
Where the water actually goes
The stain on the ceiling is rarely under the hole in the roof. Water runs along rafters, sheathing and the top of drywall until it finds a seam or a light fixture, so a ceiling mark in the hallway may come from flashing twenty feet away. Crews trace the path with pin and pinless moisture meters and an infrared camera, because drying the room with the stain while leaving a wet attic cavity above the bedroom produces a mold problem in spring.
Insulation is the hidden casualty. Blown-in cellulose and fiberglass batts soak up water and hold it against the ceiling drywall and the framing. Wet insulation does not dry in a Seattle winter attic; it is removed, the cavity is dried, and it is replaced as part of the claim.
Emergency tarping
A tarp is a mitigation step, not a repair, and it is one that most policies expect and pay for. Crews secure heavy-duty tarps with battens over the damaged section when conditions allow safe roof access. In high winds the crew may seal from inside the attic and tarp when the wind drops. The permanent repair is yours to arrange with the roofer of your choice; the tarp buys the days or weeks that takes during storm season.
Fallen trees and branches
Puget Sound fir and cedar come down in every big wind event. A branch through the roof is a straightforward covered loss on nearly every policy: the roof, the interior water damage and the tree removal from the structure are usually all covered. Crews coordinate with your tree service, tarp the opening once the branch is off, and dry the interior. Photograph the tree on the roof before anyone touches it.
Gutters, downspouts and the eaves
Not every storm leak comes through the roof. Clogged gutters overflow back under the roof edge and into the soffit and wall cavity, and downspouts disconnected at the ground send hundreds of gallons against the foundation in one storm. Both show up as wet walls near the ceiling line on the top floor or as a wet basement wall. The crew identifies the real entry point so the fix addresses the cause rather than the symptom.
The insurance picture
Storm claims are decided on cause. Sudden damage from wind, hail or falling objects is covered; gradual deterioration is not. The same leak can be either depending on what the photographs show, which is why the crew documents the roof surface, the flashing, the water path and the interior before anything is cleaned up. On covered claims the restoration contractor bills your insurer directly for the tarping, drying and interior work, and you pay your deductible. If a roof has simply reached the end of its life, you will hear that from the crew honestly, with a written estimate for the interior drying so you can decide how to proceed.
