As many of the 2.6 million people who evacuated the coastal areas of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas were returning home Sept. 16, getting their first looks at storm damage to their homes. Less devastating than expected, Hurricane Floyd was probably a lot harder on your home than it was on you. Tropical rains brought rising water levels and flooding, leaving many homes with standing water in basements, crawl spaces and elsewhere.

Except in the hardest hit areas, your home's condition probably isn't cause for alarm -- unless you allow it to remain weather beaten. Left unattended, storm-related problems pose an insidious threat to the structural integrity of your home, especially its foundation and roof. After you are sure it's safe to reenter your home and before you get started on the clean up, be sure to photograph, video tape or otherwise document the damage for insurance purposes. Working from the ground up, here are the major problem areas to inspect and tips on how to correct the problem should you find damage.

Foundations, structural damage

Look for ceiling and wall buckling, a roof that's askew. Watch for falling plaster. Examine the foundation and supports where the walls meet the ground to check for undermining. Walls can be checked with a level or plumb bob.

Be very careful if you elect to inspect the foundation areas by digging along the side of the house. Saturated ground could cave in. Look for ponding around the foundation of your house. Pilings, common to some homes in coastal regions, should also be checked for settling or shifting. Also check any wood bracing beneath the house to make sure it's not soaked.

Severe buckling or shifting in the walls requires immediate attention by a structural or foundation engineer or general contractor familiar with foundations.

You should always maintain a slope of 1/2 inch per foot for three to five feet (like an apron all around the building) all the way around the perimeter of the building. Even concrete walks and patios should have a similar drainage pitch away from the home. The slope allows the water to flow away from your home. Also well-maintained roof gutters and a downspout fitted to direct rain away from the house help accomplish the task.

Flooding, standing water

Experts say 70 to 80 percent of all homeowners will experience some flooding or standing water at some time, but standing water often indicates poor drainage around the foundation. Once you've checked for structural damage look for standing water.

Pump it out to the drainage sewer slowly and carefully. In many cases, more damage can be caused by pumping too quickly. As the basement fills with water, it acts as a brace to water pressing against the outside walls.

Pump it out too fast and the walls could buckle and cave in. Pump in stages, about one-third of the water each day and watch the walls to make sure they aren't caving in from the outside pressure. A long-range solution is to install a sump pump.

Roof leaks

Just where the roof is leaking is often the least revealing facet of a water-logged home. Water or moisture on a sloping roof won't leak down in a straight line, but drips along the rafters to some point away from the actual leak.

Begin your search by looking for discolored ceilings or walls. To find the source, go into the attic with a flashlight. The source may be noticeable during a rain, but not so obvious afterward. If it isn't raining, someone may have to spray the roof with a garden hose while you are inspecting in the attic. Once you locate the leak, mark it with chalk. You will need to patch it from above. In order to find the same spot when you go up on the roof, drive a nail or pass some wire up through the leak to the roof. Venture up on the roof only if you are a professional or an experienced do-it-yourselfer, familiar with rooftop work. While you are up there, look for missing or damaged shingles and clogged, broken or rusted gutters.

Replace defective shingles or seal the leak with patching cement. Use plastic sheeting as a temporary covering for any large areas of damage and call in the professional later.

Also check for leaks in the flashing around the chimney, vent pipes or windows. If the metal flashing has been blown off, replace it with flashing that is 16 inches wide with a crimp or rib down the middle. Seal it with asphalt roof patching cement. Use the asphalt roof patching cement to repair leaks around chimneys or pipes, where metal flashing is sound. It helps to leave the can indoors overnight to warm up the cement so it's easier to work with.

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Published: September 22, 1999

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