Quick answer
For water damage in Leary, GA, shut off your main valve first, or turn off the well pump breaker if you are on a private well. If the City of Leary bills you and the leak is at the meter or in the road, call 229-792-6121. Then call a water damage restoration company; drying should start within 24 to 48 hours, before mold sets in.
Do this first
After-hours water lines.
- Shut off the water. Close your main valve, or turn off the well pump breaker if you are on a private well. The City of Leary runs water and sewer inside the city limits; call City Hall on East Main Street at 229-792-6121, weekdays 8 to 5.
- Make it safe and document it. Cut power to wet rooms from a dry spot, photograph the damage, then report the claim.
- Start drying within 24 to 48 hours. Crawlspaces, basements, and slab homes with carpet hold moisture longer than they look.
FEMA's flood map puts about 28% of the land inside Leary in the high-risk flood zone, mostly along Keel Creek. The map panels for this area took effect in 2009. Check your own address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center. Never drive or walk through moving water, and treat floodwater as contaminated.
What to know about water damage in Leary
28%
Share of the land in Leary inside FEMA's high-risk flood zone, mostly along Keel Creek. Crawlspaces and yards near the creek take water first.
Source: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer
Wells, tower, and controls
Leary's water comes from city wells and an elevated tank. The city used a state drinking water fund project to add a SCADA system that controls the wells and tank.
Sewer plant and unserved roads
The county's 2017 plan budgeted $200,000 for improvements to Leary's sewer treatment plant. A $200,000 project to extend water mains and hydrants to unserved areas was postponed for lack of funds.
Ichawaynochaway Creek at Milford
The Ichawaynochaway Creek gauge at Milford, about 6 miles from Leary, starts minor flooding at 11 feet. It crested at 23.2 feet on July 7, 1994 and 19.59 feet on March 9, 1998.
Source: National Water Prediction Service, Ichawaynochaway Creek at Milford
Homes in 39862
The median home in ZIP 39862 was built in 1983; 45% were built before 1980 and 86% are owner-occupied. About 17% of homes here are mobile homes, where water can spread under the floor into the subfloor.
7 flood insurance claims
Since 1998, the National Flood Insurance Program has recorded 7 flood claims on buildings in ZIP 39862. The most came in 2019, with 2. Of those, 3 were on buildings outside FEMA's high-risk zone. Buildings without flood insurance are not counted.
Source: FEMA NFIP claims data (OpenFEMA)
Check your ZIP
How often does Calhoun County get flash flood warnings?
The National Weather Service issued 14 flash flood warnings that included Calhoun County from 2016 through November 11, 2026, peaking at 4 in 2024. Each one means flooding is happening or about to happen.
Source: our count from the National Weather Service warning archive, Iowa Environmental Mesonet.
| Year | Warnings |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 | 0 |
Cost and insurance in Leary
How much does water damage restoration cost in Leary?
Most jobs run $450 to $16,000 (Angi). Creek flooding needs a separate flood policy. Crawlspaces near the creek take longer.
Water removal and restoration in Leary
The company that answers handles runoff along Keel Creek, septic backups, failed well lines on farm lots, and water under mobile homes, plus burst pipes, appliance leaks, drying, and septic backups.
Leary questions
Who do I call about a leak at the meter or in the road?
If the City of Leary bills you, call City Hall at 229-792-6121. On a private well, turn off the pump breaker and call a plumber.
Does Keel Creek flood homes in Leary?
About 28% of the land in Leary is in FEMA's high-risk flood zone, mostly along Keel Creek. Homes near it can take water in crawlspaces and yards in heavy rain; flood insurance is a separate policy from homeowners coverage.
Is there a historic church in Leary?
Saint Maryland Missionary Baptist Church is one of the oldest African American congregations in Calhoun County. Its older building, likely from the early 1900s, was replaced by a newer one next door in the late 1970s.
Which ZIP codes does this page cover?
ZIP 39862, including Leary and nearby parts of the county. Part of the ZIP crosses into Baker County.
Related guides
Other Georgia towns- Burst pipe, not frozen
- Sewage backup: what to do first
- Mold after water damage
- Mold remediation cost
- Does homeowners insurance cover water damage?
- How long water damage takes to dry
- Water in the crawl space
Local phone numbers checked November 2026: