Flood of the Century hits home

[PearlySwan]

So for the first time ever our basement is flooded. We had a beautifully finished basement (Owens Corning system) which was used as a kids' playroom and home office. The unfinished part was used for storage. We started pumping water out yesterday at 5AM and didn't stop until 12AM this morning. The sump pump is still going strong as I write this. We also used the dry wet vac the entire day yesterday. Even after employing all these mitigating measures we still have 4 inches of water in the basement right now. Our DS is extremely upset and agitated because he can't go downstairs to play. I've tried getting him to understand is not possible right now but he just doesn't get it. To make matters worse the person I occasionally rely on for babysitting, when something comes up, is unavailable to come over since her property is flooded as well. We need to remove the carpeting from the basement ASAP as it will start to grow mold within 24 to 48 hours. In the meantime, DH still has to go to work, the kids still have to go to school and activities, and I have to work and function as if it were a 'normal day.' On top of it all I was just beginning to get over a major sinus infection (with the help of some much needed antibiotics which I got on Monday from my doc). I just can't seem to catch a break. This is sooooo frustrating! Arghhhh!

 

[AlleyKat]

So for the first time ever our basement is flooded. We had a beautifully finished basement (Owens Corning system) which was used as a kids' playroom and home office. The unfinished part was used for storage. We started pumping water out yesterday at 5AM and didn't stop until 12AM this morning. The sump pump is still going strong as I write this. We also used the dry wet vac the entire day yesterday. Even after employing all these mitigating measures we still have 4 inches of water in the basement right now. Our DS is extremely upset and agitated because he can't go downstairs to play. I've tried getting him to understand is not possible right now but he just doesn't get it. To make matters worse the person I occasionally rely on for babysitting, when something comes up, is unavailable to come over since her property is flooded as well. We need to remove the carpeting from the basement ASAP as it will start to grow mold within 24 to 48 hours. In the meantime, DH still has to go to work, the kids still have to go to school and activities, and I have to work and function as if it were a 'normal day.' On top of it all I was just beginning to get over a major sinus infection (with the help of some much needed antibiotics which I got on Monday from my doc). I just can't seem to catch a break. This is sooooo frustrating! Arghhhh!

Oh Pearly, can I relate! Do you live in Ma.?

Our home's previous owner (a structural engineer) finished the entire basement beautifully(which is a home unto itself). We've lost tens of thousands of dollars worth of furniture, antiques, electronics, etc.

Our constant inflow of water is neck and neck with our sump pump. The worst (so far) was 4-5+ inches, it's now holding steady at 2-3.

 

[kpm76]

Thinking of you and seding good thoughts your way. We also had a terrible flood (we live in Cranston, RI). Our foundation got a major crack and water has been gushing in since 11am yesterday. I'm pregnant and my husband was traveling but thank God was able to get home last night. I called the fire dept and miraculously they came and bailed me out and set me up so I could at least keep the water level. Once my husband arrived home he was able to set up another pump....we have 3 going right now. We had a finished and unfinished side and both are a loss. At least we are all ok

 

[Arielle22]

We are lucky that we didn't flood. My sister's house got 2 inches in the basement and my boss was flooded twice (2 weeks ago and yesterday). What didn't get destroyed in the first flood got destroyed yesterday.

My sister is a SAHM to my nephew with health problems. So my BIL had to stay home yesterday to take care of the basement.

I take a train to work and the cute little streams and marshlands look like the ocean right now. I saw one yard with an in ground pool and there was about 6 inches of water covering everything.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Sorry to hear it flooded but on the flip side, I had 8 feet of water in my home 2 weeks ago. My foundation is elevated 3 feet off the ground so we filled the entire basement and the water surrounded the entire home and came just 6 inches shy of the first floor.

Contact your insurance agent. Use bleach/water mix to spray on the floor prior to putting any new flooring down. The bleach will kill any mold. Feel free to ask any questions. We're old hands at this.

 

[PearlySwan]

Thanks everyone! KPM76, we're neighbors! It seems as if the Cranston side of Narragansett Bay got slammed because the Pawtuxet river hit record highs. Glad to hear you are alright though. I know several families that have it worse than us. AlleyKat we used to live near Boston, MA but never got flooded where we lived there. I'm very sorry to hear of your loss too. Now it's time to contact the insurance agency. Make sure to take photos and video if possible, including the measures you took to prevent the damage (sump pump, etc). We're closer to the water than we've ever been before, though we never bargain on having 'water front' property or 'water in' proper. Got to keep my sense of humor. After all, there is little left without it.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

BDTD in the past & pumping strong now. We're holding steady right now the sump is going off every 15 seconds. DH has shop vac'd all day long. Our insurance doesn't cover ground water & FEMA stinks AFAIK so we just budget for the clean up now.

 

[Silent1CB]

Owens Corning System? Is that the one that the wall panels are removeable? That's actually really smart! So you can just remove the panels if its going to flood and put them back when everything is good and dry? More people should look into that.

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

I can feel your pain. I live in Southeastern MA just about 10 minutes from the RI line. Since 6am on Tuesday, we have been using the shop vac. We were able to catch it as it came in to contain it to one room only, which happens to be the last one that is unfinished. We were in the process of finishing it so we haven't lost anything but sleep. We were vacuuming 42 gallons every 2 hours. Then it started to slow so from midnight lastnight/morning we were able to drop it down to vacuuming every 4 hours and we were vaccuming about 24 gallons each time. At 6, it was only 18 gallons so it is going down thankfully.
I know alot of people have it worse off than my family. You're all in my thoughts.

 

[minkydog]

Boy, do I get this. We had terrible flooding in Georgia last fall. Thankfully, we didn't have it too bad--just 6" in the basement. People within 8 miles of my house lost everything and are still not back in their houses. But I know what you're saying. Even a little bit of water can cause a lot of problems. We ended up having to tear a whole wall out.

I'll bet your area will be declared a national disaster area. What that means is if you have flood insurance, that will kick in. And FEMA will be on the scene shortly. In our situation we did not have flood insurance and our home insurer didn't pay a dime,even tho our sump pump failed. And when FEMA came over they declared that we didn't have enough damage for them to help us with a loan. The damage stands at over $6000 and we had to halt work because we didn't have any more money. We're hoping we can put some of the tax return there.

Best of luck to you. This is a very disruptive situation, I know. When Georgia was hit with the flooding we ended up being out of school for 2-3 days because several of the schools were flooded. Not to mention student's and staff's homes! EVERYBODY needed that time to shop-vac the water and rip out the carpet & drywall. Hmmm, drywall...that's a funny word when you have water lines 3ft up your wall.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Boy, do I get this. We had terrible flooding in Georgia last fall. Thankfully, we didn't have it too bad--just 6" in the basement. People within 8 miles of my house lost everything and are still not back in their houses. But I know what you're saying. Even a little bit of water can cause a lot of problems. We ended up having to tear a whole wall out.

I'll bet your area will be declared a national disaster area. What that means is if you have flood insurance, that will kick in. And FEMA will be on the scene shortly. In our situation we did not have flood insurance and our home insurer didn't pay a dime,even tho our sump pump failed. And when FEMA came over they declared that we didn't have enough damage for them to help us with a loan. The damage stands at over $6000 and we had to halt work because we didn't have any more money. We're hoping we can put some of the tax return there.

Best of luck to you. This is a very disruptive situation, I know. When Georgia was hit with the flooding we ended up being out of school for 2-3 days because several of the schools were flooded. Not to mention student's and staff's homes! EVERYBODY needed that time to shop-vac the water and rip out the carpet & drywall. Hmmm, drywall...that's a funny word when you have water lines 3ft up your wall.

I just wanted to correct you that even without the declaration your flood insurance still stands and will kick in. The declaration means that everything that you didn't claim or was covered by your insurance is now deductible on your taxes the following year. It also means that FEMA will come in and assist if they can. And yes, your amount of damage and your income and current assets does play into the picture. There is only a limited supply of money and they need to spread it around. We actually turned FEMA down in the last 2 floods, meaning we opened a case but never looked into applying for any aid. The first flood we did and I have to tell you that even with over $100,000 in structural and content damage we were still offered only $5,000. And that's with a family of 4 at the time, a disabled husband and I was 5 months pregnant. And when we applied they were already talking about putting me out of work due to the stress of the flood. So while FEMA might be there, I guarantee that the OP will be at the very bottom of the list - and I'm not saying that she's even looking.

 

[kacaju]

BIG ((HUGS)) In the last storm our basement started taking on water. We do not have a sump pump and I had to shop vac the water from our french drain every 20 minutes for 48 hours non stop so our basement didn't flood. It came in fast, I was watching the french drain and in two hours we went from nothing to it just spilling over the floor and it didn't let up.

This storm I was prepared for the worse and at 10am the french drain got wet. It is filled with water now, but below the floor line. I ahve not pumped any water out yet because I want to see if it will get higher. I am praying we made it through the worst and it will be OK this time!!

 

[mlittig]

I am so sorry that you have been affected by all this rain

 

[wdwfan16]

I saw on TV this morning that this is a once in 200 year flood.

Good luck to all that are effected by this.

 

[PearlySwan]

This is what the news just reported: "Major flooding on the Pawtuxet river is expected through tomorrow (Good Friday how ironic!). Some rivers flood through the weekend. Dry and mild stretch new few days."

Ugh! I'm still cleaning up the floors in our basement. We completely removed all the carpeting down there. Now we have to disinfect to make sure there is no bacterial or mold growth.

I do pray something will come through for those who were affected more than we were. I think for us the inconvenience is the biggest factor. Of course it will be expensive to restore the basement to what it once was, but we'll manage to do it one way or another.

Sending best wishes and prayers to everyone who is dealing with this problem today.

 

[gigicnm]

I feel your pain. We're floating along with you.

We've been running two sump pumps for two weeks straight- since the last storm.

 

[cultureart]

I'm sorry to here that. Good luck to all who are experiecing this terrible flood!

 

[Robinrs]

We were affected by the Georgia flood, too. Unfortunately we HAVE no basement, our entire first floor was attacked. We were out of our house for 3 months. I will always empathize with flood victims.

God bless!

 

[CapeMayMommy]

Not in Rhode Island, but my area of New Jersey flooded too. The ground has been saturated and Monday after the storm, the water has been coming in.

My beautiful floor has buckled despite a pump, dehumidifer, and a frantic effort to get the water out.

My home has never flooded before.

 

[PearlySwan]

Not in Rhode Island, but my area of New Jersey flooded too. The ground has been saturated and Monday after the storm, the water has been coming in.

My beautiful floor has buckled despite a pump, dehumidifer, and a frantic effort to get the water out.

My home has never flooded before.

^^^ That is exactly what 80% of our neighbors have said. We never got flooded either until this week. According to meteorolical models this has been a historical 100 year flood we've experienced here in the East Coast. RI was the most affected state, particularly the west side of Narraganset Bay. On Thursday there were several counties not included for disaster relief, but yesterday after Janet Napolitano surveyed the state on a helicopter, they finally declared the entire state a disaster area. We're still pumping water out of our basement. It's been a nightmare! I'm sorry you have to go through this too. I'm very sorry.

The Warwick Mall, the only one with a Disney Store in the entire state of RI, was flooded under more than 3 feet of water after the Pawtuxet river reached 19+ feet (a full 10 feet above flood stage). We saw pictures of the inside of the Warwick Mall and it's been completely destroyed. Here is a video of the inside after the waters started to recede yesterday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMmxyqpWgtI I doubt they'll be opening it any time soon. I had planned on getting Easter gifts at the Disney store this past Wednesday but instead the mall was flooded and I've been pumping water out of our basement since last Tuesday. Needless to say there is going to be no Easter presents for the kiddos this year. Truth be told, that's the least of our worries right now. I'm just praying for a long dry spell here on this East Coast. The last thing any of us need need is more rain any time soon.