A summer storm that pushed water in under a door, a pipe that burst while you were out of town, an AC line that's been dripping into a ceiling for who knows how long: these are the calls that can't wait for a normal appointment. If you can see standing water, smell a strong musty odor, or notice new spotting spreading fast, treat it as an emergency.
Coastal storms are a regular part of life on the Grand Strand, and they're one of the most common reasons we get emergency calls. A roof that's held up fine for years can still let water in during the right kind of wind-driven rain.
Sometimes the damage isn't discovered right away. A homeowner comes back from a week away and finds a musty smell that wasn't there before, or a rental cleaner notices soft flooring after a storm passed through while the unit sat empty. Delay is the enemy here more than the storm itself, since every extra day of dampness gives mold more time to establish.
Wind-driven rain during a coastal storm can push water in through places that stay bone-dry in a normal shower: under window flashing, around soffit vents, through a garage door seal. If a storm just came through and something feels or smells off, it's worth a look even if you can't point to an obvious leak.
A burst pipe under a sink or behind a washing machine can put more water into a house in an hour than a storm does over a whole afternoon. Those indoor emergencies get treated the same way as storm damage: find out how far the water traveled, then treat wherever it settled.
A water heater that fails quietly in a closet or garage can go unnoticed for days if nobody's checking that corner of the house regularly. By the time the smell reaches the living room, mold has usually already had a good head start.