Burst Pipes After Winter Storm Fern in Stone Mountain, Georgia

What Winter Storm Fern meant for DeKalb homes

In January 2026, Winter Storm Fern led DeKalb County to declare a state of emergency. FEMA Emergency Declaration 3632 was approved.

County officials urged residents to drip faucets and prepare for burst pipes. Hard freezes are uncommon in the Atlanta area, so pipes are easy to forget until the cold arrives.

Power outages add to the risk

On January 25, 2026, about 6,300 DeKalb County residents were without power. A house without power may also be without heat.

When heat goes out, the temperature in attics, exterior walls and unheated rooms can drop below freezing quickly.

Not a one time event

The National Weather Service Atlanta office lists winter storms in north and central Georgia on January 10 and January 21, 2025, and in January 2022.

Cold snaps come back often enough that a plan is worth having.

Why pipes break after the freeze, not during it

Water expands as it freezes. A solid plug of ice can crack a pipe wall, but the crack may stay plugged by that same ice.

When the weather warms, the ice melts, and water pours out of the crack under full pressure.

• Water that was frozen in the pipe is released at the split when it thaws.
• Supply pipes run under pressure, so a split can release a lot of water in a short time.
• Damage often happens while a family is at work or asleep.
• The wet area can be far from the split, because water follows framing and flooring.

Homes in Stone Mountain and when they were built

The median year homes were built in Stone Mountain is 1979. The largest groups of homes date from the 1970s, the 1980s and the 1960s.

About 152 housing units date from 1939 or earlier. Older buildings often have more exposed or poorly insulated spots where pipes can freeze.

Hidden Hills, a community of over 1,500 homes, and Smoke Rise, a wooded community in ZIP 30087 developed starting in the 1960s, sit in the area. Brick ranch and split level homes are common in Smoke Rise.

A house that has been empty during a cold snap is at higher risk. If heat is off, drain the pipes or keep a trickle of water running before leaving.

• Pipes in exterior walls, especially on the north side of a house.
• Pipes in attics, garages and unheated utility rooms.
• Pipes under sinks on exterior walls, where cabinet doors keep warm air out.
• Outdoor spigots and the hoses that stay connected to them.

What to do when a pipe lets go

The first move is to stop the water. Everything else follows from that.

Stone Mountain is the name of a city, a larger unincorporated area and a park, and mail for the area can cross county borders. A homeowner reporting a utility problem should give the exact address and say which county's service applies.

In the first minutes

• Shut off the main water valve.
• Turn off power to the wet area at the panel if it is safe to reach it.
• Open a faucet at the lowest point to drain the pipes.
• Move furniture, rugs and electronics out of the wet area.

Before help arrives

• Photograph the split pipe and every wet room.
• Keep heat on to protect other pipes if power is available.
• Do not use a household vacuum on standing water.

How the crew finds and dries the water

The extraction crew removes standing water, then the drying team uses moisture meters and a thermal camera to follow water through the walls and floors.

Walls are opened only where the readings say water is trapped. That keeps rebuilding smaller and cheaper.

After a freeze, several pipes can split in different places. The crew checks every wall and ceiling the water touched, not just the first stain.

Wall cavities and ceilings

Water from a split pipe in an attic or upper wall drips down through insulation and into ceilings below. A stained ceiling is a sign that insulation above is wet.

Wet insulation holds water for a long time, so it is usually replaced.

Drying to a reading

Air movers and dehumidifiers run until readings match a dry reference. The drying time estimator shows how room size and wetness affect the timeline.

Getting ready before the next freeze

A little preparation costs far less than a flooded floor.

• Know where the main shutoff is and make sure it turns.
• Drip faucets on exterior walls when a hard freeze is forecast.
• Open cabinet doors under sinks so warm air reaches the pipes.
• Disconnect garden hoses and cover outdoor spigots.
• Insulate exposed pipes in attics and crawl areas.

Help in Stone Mountain

The page for frozen pipe cleanup in Stone Mountain describes the process. For a pipe that has already split, see burst pipe water damage in Stone Mountain.

The Stone Mountain hub lists every service available there, and the page on frozen pipe cleanup gives a wider overview.