Oh no, not again! Flooding

[NightTrain]

One thing I was surprised to learn while researching my microhydro project for L5 is that one 3" line carries more water than two 2" lines.

You don't know what your existing pumps' GPM capacity is?

[jimnyc]

Lordy I'm so sorry! Just awful.

My mom was pretty good at real estate-2 pieces of advice, orders really to my brother and I:
1. Buy the least expensive property in expensive area.
2. Get topographical survey of area, buy only in highest elevation-mind you this is in IL which floods and is very flat! LOL! Smart she was.

Well, this was the cheapest we could find in our township but was still pricey in my eyes, but cheap compared to the other homes "on the other side of the tracks" that go for millions.

We were both naive and never considered the topography, nor flooding at all about this particular home. 1st house and I was overjoyed to have a driveway and garage! In the past 25 years I have learned a TON to keep in mind if we ever buy another.

The mortgage is completely paid. We are thinking about moving anyway. I sure hope nothing happens to reduce it to rubble and we only got the insurance money.

[SassyLady]

Wow, Jim! Brutal stuff .... hope that ceiling holds up with all the rain still coming.

My granddaughter is a teacher in NY. Said they closed school early today and it took her train 2.5 hrs to go 10 stops. She's from Arizona and is no stranger to massive amounts of rain but here in the desert it doesn't back up like in the city. She was nervous because her husband had to leave work and go pick up their daughter from school. She thought she might get stranded.

I didn't know you guys were going to get so hammered. Not a hurricane right?

[Kathianne]

Well, this was the cheapest we could find in our township but was still pricey in my eyes, but cheap compared to the other homes "on the other side of the tracks" that go for millions.

We were both naive and never considered the topography, nor flooding at all about this particular home. 1st house and I was overjoyed to have a driveway and garage! In the past 25 years I have learned a TON to keep in mind if we ever buy another.

The mortgage is completely paid. We are thinking about moving anyway. I sure hope nothing happens to reduce it to rubble and we only got the insurance money.

Basement flooding is by far the worst, even with 'expanded coverage' there's little real fairness here. As you say, not even basics paid in full.

[jimnyc]

One thing I was surprised to learn while researching my microhydro project for L5 is that one 3" line carries more water than two 2" lines.

You don't know what your existing pumps' GPM capacity is?

Nah. I could look at all but the ones in the pit outside as they are much too hard to get out of there for reading. Wouldn't have a clue else how to find out. I do know they travel through PVC piping from that pit all the way to the sewer at the end of the block. We had to pay for the street to get dug up for the route. But it's only one PVC pipe running all the water. If it were a bigger pit, more pumps & say maybe 4 lines it would be better.

But we have spent like $50k on all of the work and hardware to just get a system in place to this point - and it failed with the most severe of downfalls. That doesn't include all of the repairs and replacements over the years .On our 3rd hot water heater and 2nd furnace. Replaced motherboard in old furnace like 7 times due to flooding. Lost a 2007 Mitsubishi Murano, but covered at least. Replaced garage door, and endless small things downstairs. And then.... well you see the photos.

I don't know if we're prepared to spend over a certain amount now. The roof, absolutely, that's a must. But whoever buys this home will be best off tearing her down and starting fresh from the ground up. And they would be wise to fix the yard prior to building. So basically we would be selling the land. Thankfully, properties in our area have risen. But we would never get back what we paid over 22 years before paying off mortgage early. With that said, I think we would be better off saving the most we can for any move we make and put less into this never ending saga on the lake.

*** Funny story. We had an old lady that used to live next to us. We became friends with her, and I recall the first time it REALLY flooded and destroying everything - I was chatting with her outside and she says "this used to happen to old neighbor all the time before they sold it to you!" - and then says "Yeah, back when I bought my home it was a beautiful lake back there!" She owned her home on this block before the others were even a thought. That's how we found out about the lake, and our sellers lack of disclosure.

[jimnyc]

Wow, Jim! Brutal stuff .... hope that ceiling holds up with all the rain still coming.

My granddaughter is a teacher in NY. Said they closed school early today and it took her train 2.5 hrs to go 10 stops. She's from Arizona and is no stranger to massive amounts of rain but here in the desert it doesn't back up like in the city. She was nervous because her husband had to leave work and go pick up their daughter from school. She thought she might get stranded.

I didn't know you guys were going to get so hammered. Not a hurricane right?

Cars are floating around on a few highways! Subways in NYC are under water as usual. So the whole region has issues, but those in flood areas even worse, and those living in former lakes apparently too!

[jimnyc]

Basement flooding is by far the worst, even with 'expanded coverage' there's little real fairness here. As you say, not even basics paid in full.

I should call them when the water is completely gone and then tell them we flooded due to the pump failing! LOL

[Kathianne]

Nah. I could look at all but the ones in the pit outside as they are much too hard to get out of there for reading. Wouldn't have a clue else how to find out. I do know they travel through PVC piping from that pit all the way to the sewer at the end of the block. We had to pay for the street to get dug up for the route. But it's only one PVC pipe running all the water. If it were a bigger pit, more pumps & say maybe 4 lines it would be better.

But we have spent like $50k on all of the work and hardware to just get a system in place to this point - and it failed with the most severe of downfalls. That doesn't include all of the repairs and replacements over the years .On our 3rd hot water heater and 2nd furnace. Replaced motherboard in old furnace like 7 times due to flooding. Lost a 2007 Mitsubishi Murano, but covered at least. Replaced garage door, and endless small things downstairs. And then.... well you see the photos.

I don't know if we're prepared to spend over a certain amount now. The roof, absolutely, that's a must. But whoever buys this home will be best off tearing her down and starting fresh from the ground up. And they would be wise to fix the yard prior to building. So basically we would be selling the land. Thankfully, properties in our area have risen. But we would never get back what we paid over 22 years before paying off mortgage early. With that said, I think we would be better off saving the most we can for any move we make and put less into this never ending saga on the lake.

*** Funny story. We had an old lady that used to live next to us. We became friends with her, and I recall the first time it REALLY flooded and destroying everything - I was chatting with her outside and she says "this used to happen to old neighbor all the time before they sold it to you!" - and then says "Yeah, back when I bought my home it was a beautiful lake back there!" She owned her home on this block before the others were even a thought. That's how we found out about the lake, and our sellers lack of disclosure.

Horrible.

[Kathianne]

At least you're not alone:

https://hotair.com/john-s-2/2023/09/...clared-n581333

[jimnyc]

We have been cleaning downstairs all day and only got the garage done. Still have the entire basement full of grime/dirt and small amounts of water around that won't float itself to the pumps. Just gonna need to dry is all.

Magically it would appear that the water line rose above the new cement blocks we had built for the devices and was literally in the bases of each one, but the water heater and furnace appear to have actually made it through. Another hour of rain and we would have lost both. And they were calling for more but didn't get that final blast, and the pumps slowly caught up.

So really other than a major mess to clean we got lucky with all things considered. Everything else was mainly moved out over the years 'cept for my tools and top of workbench. Never has made it that high - yet. Ain't putting anything down there again 'cept for the heater and furnace. Got complacent after awhile as this system has mainly kept our basement dry - but this one done beat the system. I was starting to think about getting a washer and dryer again for down there and glad I didn't!

Now for my room, another story. Everything covered right now and roofers oddly start tomorrow on a Sunday. Ain't no repairing my ceiling, have to have the drywall replaced & not sure where the hell the eaves are checked while doing the roof. My ass doesn't go on roofs!

[Kathianne]

We have been cleaning downstairs all day and only got the garage done. Still have the entire basement full of grime/dirt and small amounts of water around that won't float itself to the pumps. Just gonna need to dry is all.

Magically it would appear that the water line rose above the new cement blocks we had built for the devices and was literally in the bases of each one, but the water heater and furnace appear to have actually made it through. Another hour of rain and we would have lost both. And they were calling for more but didn't get that final blast, and the pumps slowly caught up.

So really other than a major mess to clean we got lucky with all things considered. Everything else was mainly moved out over the years 'cept for my tools and top of workbench. Never has made it that high - yet. Ain't putting anything down there again 'cept for the heater and furnace. Got complacent after awhile as this system has mainly kept our basement dry - but this one done beat the system. I was starting to think about getting a washer and dryer again for down there and glad I didn't!

Now for my room, another story. Everything covered right now and roofers oddly start tomorrow on a Sunday. Ain't no repairing my ceiling, have to have the drywall replaced & not sure where the hell the eaves are checked while doing the roof. My ass doesn't go on roofs!

The walls from the roof should be covered by insurance-baring not having any citations or anything about replacing. Depending on the determination of roof, it may be covered it wind was involved.

[jimnyc]

The walls from the roof should be covered by insurance-baring not having any citations or anything about replacing. Depending on the determination of roof, it may be covered it wind was involved.

May be no way to know, but roofer thinks branches from our monstrous oak tree may have done it. They need trimming back off of our roof. The tree is like 75' high and the branches extend quite a ways outward. But 2 very large branches have worked their way over the top of like 1/4 of the roof and then starting sagging down from the weight of the branches. No way I was climbing that high, then somehow buzzing those branches. Let the roofers fall off the roof or cut their arm off. Didn't think a dangling branch would put a hole in 2 spots of my roof, but here we are.

[Kathianne]

May be no way to know, but roofer thinks branches from our monstrous oak tree may have done it. They need trimming back off of our roof. The tree is like 75' high and the branches extend quite a ways outward. But 2 very large branches have worked their way over the top of like 1/4 of the roof and then starting sagging down from the weight of the branches. No way I was climbing that high, then somehow buzzing those branches. Let the roofers fall off the roof or cut their arm off. Didn't think a dangling branch would put a hole in 2 spots of my roof, but here we are.

seriously, get an adjuster out there. You could save thousands-you know the basement is a loss.

Water damage, drying out, drywall, painting is expensive. You may have to leave home due to noise of fans. My bathroom leak caused over $45k in damages and another $20+k in additional expenses.

[hjmick]

Well... shit.

[jimnyc]

Well... shit.

That's what I said when I first walked down the stairs and saw the disaster. My wife slept in the garage near the pumps as the storm started overnight and place was dry in the AM. Up and down monitoring things. An hour later and open the door to the basement - and well..... shit. Sometimes that's all you can say.

Told my wife not to bother but she wanted to be near the pumps to make sure they were turned on and off if it didn't happen on it's own (long story). Had no idea she slept there so don't yell at me!

I told her, you can't stop water. Not without a vault barrier surrounding our door. A door isn't the appropriate barrier to block a flood from entering the garage. And then 6 nches later and it's over the step into the basement. And worse, the sump pump in basement can only do so much. When the water gets THAT saturated and flooded back there, it works it's way underground and upward into the sump pump pit, and beats pump and overflows into the basement. Double whammy. And it all leads back to the "lake" of water that forms with massive rains and eventually the lawn says "no mas" and the basement says "come on in".

How's things by you Mr Mick? You hit the downtown area where I met you ever at all? Or not really your area?