What if you have a water back up in your basement?

Posted By Jay Toole
April 10, 2019 Category: What If, Homeowners Policy, Flooding

Snapshot: Document everything that was removed from the basement in a detailed list. Remove carpet or other damaged flooring. Assess if further remediation is needed from a restoration company and contact your insurance agent. April showers may bring May flowers, but they could also bring some serious headaches. Common in old homes and homes built at low points relative to storm drains can suffer from basement flooding and water back up when a storm is heavy enough. This can mean water flooding the basement from drains or even sewage from the toilet. In the former case, the water may not have human waste but still be dirty enough to ruin your carpet, drywall, wood stairs, and household items that can absorb liquid. We have dealt with this personally and would gladly impart our wisdom onto you. Be prepared prior to the upcoming storms Keep electronics, shoes, towels, stuffed animals, and other items that can absorb water on higher shelves or in sealed, plastic totes. Totes without lids can be effective but if the water rises high enough then it can (and in our case did) flip the bins. In frequent flooding cases, a storm well or safety drain can be dug into a basement that will mitigate the risk of water flooding your home. Many local companies can provide this service- or shoot us an email for a reference. Document everything! One more time for good measure. Document EVERYTHING. Create a detailed list of all the items that were ruined due to the flooding. This i