Flooded Basement Problems And Water Clean Ups In New Jersey

By Author: Leo Nov
Total Articles: 883
Comment this article

New Jersey is known to have flooding problems, particularly flooded basement. Many residents of this state have complained about the poor drainage system. It gets even worse when hurricanes hit their area. When this happens, there is usually a need for water clean ups in New Jersey and other restoration efforts.

In August of 1955, hurricanes Connie and Dianne rushed through Delaware valley bringing with them more than 8 inches of rain. They sent water sweeping through the valley and plenty of homes, bridges and debris came along with it. Needless to say, the flooding of Delaware River created chaos.

The flash flood came without warning and as the river swelled, evacuation became necessary for two camps in Treasure and Pennington Island. The hurricane also bought plenty of damage to the local economy and a flooded basement was a common sight during that time. The local paper mill in New Jersey suffered damages of more than one million dollars. 200 families were evacuated and there was a shortage of food and water.

Damages in the Milford area reached $132,000 and in Frenchtown, the damages were seen at around ...
... $500,000. Many people were displaced from work for a long time because factories and utilities had to be repaired first. Hundreds of families became homeless and Red Cross had to do lots of relief operations. Aside from New Jersey, Pennsylvania was the worst hit region.

Many residents in New Jersey suffer from a flooded basement during heavy rains and when hurricanes strike their area because it is a low-lying area. It does not help that insurance companies do not cover losses resulting from flooding because to live in a flood zone is a personal choice. It's important to be properly prepared for floods because you still need to put businesses and utilities in flood prone zones.

There are ways to prevent flooding in a basement. For one, you can angle or pitch grades that are going or leaning away from your home. Engineers recommend that the ground right next to the foundation of your home be sloped away. Another option is to put a grade or below grade drain. This tool will direct water away from the ground. This drain will likely set you back a few thousand dollars but it will save you hundreds of thousands in the long run.

It is also a good practice to prevent your grass clippings from accumulating outside your home. This is because as time goes by, grass clippings will create some sort of moat that will collect water. When this happens, the water seeps into the ground, finds small cracks in the foundation of your house and then into your basement, causing flood.

Another thing you can do is to remove the water from trenches into dry wells around 20 feet away from your house. This will depend on some factors, like soil conditions and general pitch and also the elevation of the house. High water tables can be placed 3-4 inches under your basement slab. However, do not drain pumps into the city sewers as it is not permitted by law.
Leo Nov is an editorial staff member of RestorationSOS.com, a leading service provider for fire and water damage cleanups. To learn more about flooded basement and water cleanup in New Jersey, visit RestorationSOS.com