"We Have a Problem"

Quote of the Day:
"We have a problem."
—Evelyn's first words to me when she called at 5:00 to say water was leaking from the roof to the basement.

Pictures of the Day:

This was (is) the problem. An ice dam on the roof is causing a backup of water and a leak in the ceiling over the stairwell that leads to the basement. I trudged out there about 5:30 to try to dislodge the ice, but it was frozen hard and thick. I swept snow off the roof, as far as I could reach, but there was no way to get the leverage I would need to chunk away the 3- or 4-inch buildup of ice.
We're grateful it's not worse. The leak above was very steady for an hour or so, and even though the drip, drip, drip was in the background as we watched the Olympics tonight, now, at bedtime it as really slowed down. We don't think we'll have to empty the wastebasket overnight!
I didn't try to picture the wall below the corner leak. The  wallboard is buckling a bit at the seams. We have some significant moisture back there.
A steady rain this afternoon was part of the problem, and the rain has stopped now. Warmer temperatures are predicted for the rest of the week, and I'm hoping the snow and ice on the roof melt away soon.
Meanwhile, I'll be calling the good man at the insurance agency to see what's next.