Westminster Basements After the March 2010 Rain Storms: Pumping Is the First Step

What the March 2010 rain storms did in Westminster

On the roads

The Whitmanville River swelled over its banks and flooded Whitmanville Road and adjacent properties. A board failing in an upstream dam made the flooding worse.

The storms washed out the dirt section of Batherick Road where a brook passes underneath, and they damaged the Overlook Road culvert at the entrance to the Wildlife Management Area. The Department of Public Works repaired the culvert and the road after the water receded.

In the houses

Numerous house basements flooded, and the Fire Department pumped many of them. A federal disaster declaration followed the storms.

When water enters faster than a pump can move it

In some houses in March 2010, water came in faster than the pumps could work. That is a capacity problem, not a lack of effort.

A single small pump has a limit. When the water outside keeps rising, the inflow wins.

While the water is still rising, the safest plan is a simple one. Stay out of the water, turn off the power from a dry spot, photograph what is happening and call for help.

A household cannot outwork an inflow with buckets, and trying puts people at risk.

• A small pump cannot keep up with a large inflow.
• A long hose or a high discharge point slows a pump.
• A power loss stops an electric pump.
• Water outside the foundation keeps feeding the inflow until the ground drains.

Pumping is the first step, not the last

Larger extractors and several pumps working together move more water, and they work best once the inflow slows.

Speed still matters once the water is out. Wet drywall, wood trim and carpet begin to break down in the first 24 to 48 hours, so drying equipment placed early limits how much has to be removed.

Extraction

The crew pulls standing water with extractors and pumps, then removes the materials the water soaked, including carpet, pad and the lower part of wet drywall. That is the core of water extraction.

Drying

Walls, framing and floors still hold water after the pumps stop. Dehumidifiers and air movers run until readings come down, which is the work of structural drying.

Moisture readings: how a basement is declared dry

The IICRC S500 standard sets the framework for measuring and documenting drying. The steps below follow that framework.

Different materials dry at different rates, and a reading that stalls tells the crew something. The water may be coming from inside a wall cavity or from continued seepage, and the crew checks both before moving the equipment.

• The crew records readings on the floor, the wall bottoms and the framing at the start.
• A reference reading from a dry part of the house sets the goal.
• Readings are repeated at each visit and logged.
• Equipment moves where readings stay high.
• The job ends when readings match the dry reference, not when the room feels dry.

The first day after the pumping stops, and sorting what stays

When the standing water is gone, the quiet can feel like the end. The structure is still wet, and the next steps set the pace of the repair.

Belongings fall into three groups, depending on the material and on how contaminated the water was.

• Keep the power off in wet areas until an electrician confirms it is safe.
• Ventilate the space if the weather is dry.
• Photograph the damage and list what was removed.
• Let the crew set the equipment, and leave it where it is placed.
• Plan for the equipment to stay for days.

Save and dry

• Solid wood furniture and shelves.
• Concrete and masonry surfaces.
• Metal tools and hard plastics.

Clean and disinfect

• Hard surfaces that touched the water.
• Items stored in sealed plastic bins that stayed closed.
• Washable fabrics, when they can be laundered promptly.

Discard

• Carpet and pad that sat in floodwater.
• Soaked insulation and particleboard.
• Upholstered furniture and mattresses that absorbed water.
• Cardboard boxes and papers that cannot be dried and cleaned.

Brooks, culverts and the water around the house

The town is rural, set in rolling hills, with waterways such as the Whitmanville River, Wyman Pond and Crocker Pond. In 2010, a brook washed out part of Batherick Road where it passes underneath, and the Overlook Road culvert was damaged.

Small waterways and culverts can fail when the water rises, and that changes where it goes next. The yard side of a storm flood cleanup starts with reading that path.

Whitmanville is also the name of a neighborhood, so the river, the road and the area share a name. Houses near the river face the water first, but a house on higher ground can still be affected when a road washes out or a culvert blocks.

• After heavy rain, check where water collects near the foundation.
• Look at downspouts, gutters and grading.
• Watch for ponding at culverts and driveways.
• Note where the water entered the basement, and photograph it.

Preparing a basement before the next storm

A prepared basement does not stop a flood, but it makes the first day simpler.

A federal disaster declaration followed the March 2010 storms, but a household does not need a disaster to benefit from preparation. A heavy rain on a wet spring day can still put water in a basement.

• Test the sump pump and its discharge if the house has one.
• Keep stored items on shelves.
• Know the location of the electrical panel and the main shutoff.
• Keep a written list of what is stored below.
• Photograph the space in normal condition.
• Clear gutters and extend downspouts away from the foundation.
• Raise appliances and stored items off the floor where possible.