What does a ceiling look like before it collapses?

Look for a brown sagging bulge, multiple cracks radiating from one point, popping nails or screws, and creaking when the HVAC runs. A bulge means water has pooled above the drywall. In Myrtle Beach tropical storms, one ceiling section can hold 30 to 50 pounds of water. Other tells: paint blistering in a circle, dripping at a light fixture, a soft spot your finger pushes through. Kill the breaker first if water reaches a fixture, since 120 volts plus water starts house fires. Get everyone out, move furniture, place a 5-gallon bucket under the lowest sag, and poke a drainage hole with a screwdriver. Call a roofer that same day, before the next squall hits.