Why Did My House Flood When I Live Far from Waterways?

4/10/2020 (Permalink)

Tennessee gets its share of flooding from storms. SERVPRO is ready to assist. Call us today!

No Matter What Caused Flooding in Your Crossville Home SERVPRO is Ready to Help 

When you were house hunting, you discarded the temptation of living riverside, perhaps because of a fear of seasonal flooding. Even with this pre-planning, you now find yourself with a Crossville basement full of water and an urgent need for assistance to get it out. How did you arrive at this crisis? And what can you do now to get your home and possessions cleaned, disinfected, dried, and odor-free? 

What Is Flash Flooding? 

Crossville homes suffer flood damage for many reasons, and location near a lake, stream, or other waterway is far from the only cause. Our region of the country experiences heavy precipitation many seasons of the year. Sometimes the amount of rain, sleet, or even snow that falls in a short period can expose homes anywhere in our community to the risk of significant water flow or seeping into lower levels. Flash floods occur when excessive amounts of water collect in dry waterways or flow down other stream-like features like sidewalks, driveways, streets, and parking lots.  

Can My Home Fill with Water Without Obvious Flash Flooding? 

When storms "train" over a region, one shower follows another over a truncated time. The ground around your house can become saturated without realizing it. Eventually, the water has nowhere to go but through your foundation and into your home. This phenomenon becomes even more likely when the following elements are present: 

• The ground immediately adjacent to your foundation does not slope away from the perimeter of your house
• The materials comprising your foundation have cracks or washed-out mortar joints
• Windows in the foundation are ill-fitting, broken, open, or poorly sealed
• Gutters and downspouts at roof level have clogs or need repair 

Why Does My Roof and Gutter System Impact Flooding in My Basement? 

A properly functioning gutter and downspout system does little for your roof in the warmer months, but it protects the foundation of your property. Water sheets off the shingles, staying out of the attic and above-ground levels of your house. When it deposits into the gutters, it should move quickly to a series of downspouts that direct the water to flow out at least ten feet away from your foundation. Clogs preventing the free flow create conditions for lower-level flooding as follows: 

• Water spills over the edges of the gutters, pounding down on the ground directly next to the foundation
• The gutter spillage erodes the ground, creating depressions that drain into your house, not your yard
• Plugged downspouts force water to flow down exterior walls, following that surface into the foundation  

How Can Professionals Get the Water Out of My House? 

No matter how the flooding occurred, you have an overwhelming mess on your hands. SERVPRO stands ready to help extract the water. This task is squarely one of the primary services offered for the communities we support. Our crew arrives with the training and experience to begin pumping water in Crossville immediately after a safety assessment. We stock our service vehicles with high-efficiency extraction equipment for every eventuality. Pumps manage water deeper than two inches, and truck-mounted extractors pull substantial quantities of fluid out without the need for electricity if storm damage cuts power.

It's Just Rainwater--Why Not Let It Drain and Dry on Its Own? 

Water damage happens fast, within minutes to hours. Flooding also brings dissolved contaminants and silt. Overland flooding flows through industrial sites, picks up water and pathogens from taxed sanitary sewers, and can drag dead animals, insects, and organic debris into your house. Between the deterioration happening within building materials because of the corrosive nature of water and the potential biohazards, floodwaters must be removed fast and by trained professionals. 

How Long Do We Have to Dry Out My Basement? 

Floodwaters are rich with organic debris that accelerate microbial growth, including molds, mildews, and pathogens potentially detrimental to your family's health and welfare. When the standing water recedes through extraction, our technicians continue to seek out trapped water and measure the levels of absorbed moisture. Molds can explode into walls full of colonies within 24 to 48 hours, needing only water and an organic surface upon which to grow. Structural drying must occur, and our crews establish drying goals and position equipment based on their training in psychrometry, the science of drying. We balance air movement, temperature, and humidity levels to facilitate the evaporation of the excess moisture. Air movers, heaters, and a range of different types of dehumidifiers help us reduce moisture to preloss levels. EPA-registered disinfectants inhibit further microbial growth and associated odors. 

SERVPRO of Cumberland, Morgan & White Counties is well-prepared to provide all services needed to remediate your home after seasonal flash flooding. Contact us round the clock at (931) 250-5333 to make it "Like it never even happened."