Flooding
Keeping water out of the basement, a pump running when it rises, and what to do first if it gets in.
What a flood leads to
Flooded basement and sewer backup
Keeping groundwater and sewer water out of the basement, and the pumps, alarms and valves that do it.
Water damage and mould
Drying out within 48 hours after a flood, sewer backup or burst pipe, and when to call a restoration firm.
The plan
Follow your municipality
If a river or the street is flooding, follow your municipality’s instructions first, and don’t go back until the authorities say it is safe.
Check the house before you go in
If the foundations look damaged or washed out, leave at once and call 911. If walls or floors sag, bulge or buckle, leave and have a professional assess the house before anyone goes back in.
Have power, gas and heating checked
Don’t switch the power back on yourself. If water reached the wiring, have a licensed electrician inspect it; have a licensed gas fitter check any gas, propane or oil appliance that was under water, and the furnace before you run it.
Safety: Floodwater can be live. Don’t walk into a flooded room with powered equipment or cables in it, and don’t touch a panel that has been in water: ask your electric utility to cut the power, or call 911 if you can’t get out.
Guides
How-to
Basement flooded? What to do first
Power and safety first, then sewage or clean water, photos for your insurer, slow pumping and drying within 48 hours, in the order official guidance gives.
Best-of
The best battery backup sump pumps
Four backup sump pumps compared on the makers' own figures: flow at 10 ft, run time per battery, pit size and alarms that work offline.
Comparison
Battery vs water-powered backup sump pumps
Battery backups pump harder and work in any home; water-powered ones run through long outages but need city pressure, a backflow preventer and your town's approval.
