A storm that would not leave
New York and New Jersey declared states of emergency on the evening of Friday, September 25, 2026 as the storm took shape. Through Saturday it crept along the coast, and the National Weather Service warned that the highest tides could cause widespread road flooding in coastal and bayside communities. A rescue crew in Sea Bright pulled a woman and her dog from floodwater, and water rose inside a marina in Surf City, where a 74 mph gust was recorded.
Downed trees caused outages for about 100,000 customers across the mid-Atlantic and New England. In Brooklyn, a city housing authority worker was killed by a falling tree. Rain was expected to taper off by the following Tuesday.
Sideways rain for days
A nor'easter is not a quick downpour. Its rain comes from the northeast for one, two or three days, driven by steady wind. Water is pushed into the windward face of the chimney, up under loose flashing and into every open mortar joint. Masonry that sheds an ordinary storm can soak through in a long one.
The typical result is a leak that shows during or right after the storm on the side of the house facing the wind: water on the ceiling beside the chimney, dripping inside a closet, or damp plaster on the chimney breast.
Older brick absorbs a surprising amount of water in a storm like this. The brick and mortar on a chimney that is fully exposed above the roof can stay wet for days after the rain ends, especially on the north and east faces that see little sun in fall. That water does little harm in September, but it is still there when the first frost arrives a few weeks later.
Salt air and coastal chimneys
Near the shore, wind-driven spray carries salt well inland during a storm like this. Salt speeds corrosion of galvanized steel caps, older flashing and the nails and fasteners that hold them, and salt carried into brick can crystallize and add to spalling. In coastal towns, stainless steel or copper caps and flashing hold up better than painted or galvanized metal.
What to look at afterward
Once the wind has dropped, check the chimney from the ground for a cap that is missing or tilted, flashing that has peeled away from the brick, and pieces of mortar or brick on the roof. Indoors, look at the ceiling and walls around the chimney on every floor, and in the firebox for water. If the house is near the water and the chimney has not been looked at in a few years, a storm like this is a good reason to have it checked before winter freezes whatever water got in.
Flood water at ground level is a separate concern. In shore towns where water reached basements, check whether a boiler or water heater was submerged, and do not restart flooded gas or oil equipment until a qualified technician has looked at it. The chimney connection and the cleanout at the base of the flue may also hold silt and debris after a flood.
Want a professional look? See our leak repair service, or call (844) 468-2410 for a free written estimate.
