How Storm Damage Creates Basement Flooding

9/10/2019 (Permalink)

Flooded basement in Stone Park, IL

An intense storm can have a devastating impact on your Stone Park, IL, home. Sometimes, that aftermath is a flooded basement. Learning the causes behind such an incident can make the cleaning and restoration processes easier and help you prevent any further backups.

What Causes a Basement Flood?

Due to the position and structure of your residence’s basement, it is vulnerable to several types of flooding. Most of these floods manifest after heavy storms and rain, and they are usually caused by the following reasons:

• Sewer water buildup caused by clogging (waste, trash, roots, vandalism, etc.)
  
• Storm water backing up due to outdated drain design
  
• Excessive surface water caused by landscape slopes or blocked gutters
  
• Broken or defective pipes
  
• Extra groundwater from hydrostatic pressure
  
  

It is imperative to find the specific cause of a flooded basement as soon as possible. Finding the source will make it easier to call a professional to fix the problem and prevent further damage. Additionally, the less water you have in the basement, the easier it will be to clean up.

How Should You Handle a Sewage Backup?

Now that you have located and controlled the source of the flooding, it is time to clean the basement. First, immediately call utility companies such as your gas company and your electricity provider, since having these services active right now is potentially dangerous. Then, assess as much of the damage as possible. Finally, contact a storm damage restoration company and provide its employees with the assessed information. They can safely repair the damage to the basement in a safe and prompt manner.

A severe storm can reveal weaknesses in your home’s sewer system that can also leave behind a flooded basement. Even though this event can be overwhelming, taking quick action by identifying the source of the problem, recording the damage and contacting restoration professionals will stop the problem and return the basement to a safer, cleaner state.