Flood and Water Damage Help for Roswell, GA

Roswell exists because of falling water. In the 1830s Roswell King built a cotton mill on Vickery Creek, also called Big Creek, and a dam above the covered footbridge still makes the waterfall visitors photograph today. The creek runs 26.5 miles from Forsyth County down through Alpharetta and Roswell to the Chattahoochee, which forms the city's southern boundary. During the September 2009 floods, the river at Roswell was measured at a 100-year flood level.

The Restoration Job is a free connection service, not a restoration contractor. When you call (888) 317-9980, day or night, we'll connect you with an independent restoration provider that serves Roswell, whether the problem is river water near the Chattahoochee, a leak in a 19th-century house off the town square or a burst pipe in a newer subdivision.

Big Creek, the Chattahoochee and the 2009 High Water

The 2009 event dropped several days of heavy rain on north Georgia. The U.S. Geological Survey found that peak flows at 33 stream gauges in the region exceeded the 100-year mark and 19 passed the 500-year mark. On the Chattahoochee, both Vinings and Roswell registered 100-year flood levels, and Fulton County was among the 17 Georgia counties declared a federal disaster area.

Big Creek drains a long corridor of suburban development before it reaches the river, so it can rise quickly when storms stall over north Fulton and Forsyth. Low-lying homes and businesses near its banks or near the river should know their flood zone, which the FEMA Flood Map Service Center shows by address. When creek or river water does get inside, it is treated as contaminated, and flood cleanup normally involves removing saturated drywall, carpet and insulation before drying begins.

Antebellum Homes, Mill Housing and Older Materials

The Roswell Historic District covers about 120 acres and was added to the National Register in 1974. Its buildings date from as early as 1837 and include Greek Revival houses such as Bulloch Hall and Barrington Hall, as well as The Old Bricks, built to house mill workers. Water behaves differently in these structures than in modern construction:

• Plaster on lath and solid masonry hold moisture longer and dry more slowly than drywall over studs.
• Original wood flooring can cup or buckle if it sits wet, but it is often worth drying carefully rather than replacing.
• Older plumbing, roof flashing and gutters may have been patched many times, so the source of a leak is not always where the stain appears.

Owners of historic properties should photograph original materials before anything is removed and ask a provider to explain which components can be dried in place.

Thunderstorms, Fallen Trees and Roof Openings

North Fulton is heavily wooded, and summer thunderstorms and the remnants of tropical systems regularly bring down limbs and whole trees. A trunk through a roof does structural damage, but the bigger long-term cost is often the rain that follows through the hole over the next day or two. Ceiling drywall sags, insulation mats down and water runs down wall cavities to the floor below.

Once everyone is safe, the priority is getting the opening covered. Storm damage cleanup usually begins with tree removal and tarping, followed by pulling wet ceiling materials and setting drying equipment. Keep photos of the tree, the roof and each damaged room for the insurance claim.

Damp Basements, Humid Summers and Mold in North Fulton

Roswell has the humid subtropical climate common to metro Atlanta, with warm, sticky summers. In that air, wet materials grow mold quickly, often within 24 to 48 hours. Basements, crawl spaces and closets along exterior walls are the usual trouble spots, since they get little air movement and stay cool enough for condensation to form.

A provider will usually use moisture meters to map how far water traveled, then dry the space with dehumidifiers until readings match unaffected areas. Where growth has already taken hold on drywall or carpet backing, mold remediation means removing those materials under containment rather than painting over them.

Alerts, Insurance and First Steps

The city sends emergency notices through Alert Roswell, part of the Fulton County FALCON system, which replaced its old Nixle service in 2025. Signing up gets you severe weather and flash flood warnings by text, email or voice call.

After water gets in, shut off power to wet areas if you can do so safely, stop the source if it is a plumbing failure and document everything. A standard homeowners policy typically covers sudden plumbing leaks but not rising floodwater, which falls under separate flood insurance. Nearby Alpharetta shares the same Big Creek watershed, so a storm that floods one usually affects both.