I also am from philly, my flat roofed house as a child had a lot of leaks and i've done the same as you.
you have a leak in the roof, that's running into a crawl space above you. You may believe there is just a roof above you, but there is an insulated crawl space. somewhere in the roof is a crack allowing water to pool in that crawlspace. It's gotten bad enough to soak thru the dry wall above your head.
you poked a hole and it drained out the pool of water, but you still have a leak.
If you allow it to continue, as my family had for years as a child, you will get the fun adventure of having mushrooms grow upside down from your ceiling.
xxanity t1_iqu81pj wrote
Reply to Leaky ceiling, poked a hole in the ceiling with a screwdriver, and after 15 minutes the dripping stopped. What's going on? by UnofficialSlimShady
I also am from philly, my flat roofed house as a child had a lot of leaks and i've done the same as you.
you have a leak in the roof, that's running into a crawl space above you. You may believe there is just a roof above you, but there is an insulated crawl space. somewhere in the roof is a crack allowing water to pool in that crawlspace. It's gotten bad enough to soak thru the dry wall above your head.
you poked a hole and it drained out the pool of water, but you still have a leak.
If you allow it to continue, as my family had for years as a child, you will get the fun adventure of having mushrooms grow upside down from your ceiling.
I don't recommend eating them.