Water and debris removed
Standing water, mud and soaked pad come out first, along with anything the flow carried in. Silt left under flooring keeps material damp and holds odor.
Storm and Flood Damage Cleanup
Snowmelt, a hail-beaten roof, a filling window well or runoff coming off a slope all end up in the same place. An independent restoration provider can extract storm water, dry the structure and explain what has to be replaced.
- Restoration Referrals
- Independent Pros
- Drying & Repairs
Signs Storm Water Got Inside
- Water seeping through a basement wall or the floor-to-wall joint
- A window well full to the glass after a downpour
- Ceiling stains showing up after a hail storm or heavy snow
- Mud, grit or a silt line left across a lower-level floor
- A sump pit overflowing or a pump that has stopped running
The weather that causes these calls is local and seasonal. Spring brings wet snow and fast melt against foundations. Hail season in late spring leaves roofs, skylights and vents leaking, sometimes weeks before anyone sees a ceiling stain. Summer afternoons bring short, heavy thunderstorms, and burned ground sheds that rain instead of soaking it up, which is why Manitou Springs and the drainages below old burn scars have seen flash flooding and debris come through town.
Low-lying property along Fountain Creek and its tributaries floods differently again, with water arriving from outside the house and carrying whatever it picked up on the way. Treat that water as contaminated, keep children and pets away from it, and do not run the heating and cooling system until the ducts have been checked.
Never walk or drive into moving water, and stay out of a flooded room where outlets or cords are submerged.
What Storm Cleanup Includes
Storm work usually involves both the water inside and the way it got in, so part of the visit is identifying the entry point before the drying plan is set.
Entry point identified
A roof leak, an overwhelmed window well, a grading problem or a failed sump each call for a different fix. Ask the provider to document which one it was.
Structure dried and checked
Wall cavities, subfloor and insulation are dried with readings taken until the materials match the dry parts of the house.
After the Storm Passes
Storm cleanup overlaps with the rest of the work: extraction for what is standing, structural drying for what soaked in, and mold remediation if the water sat for days before anyone was in the house.
If the water came up through a floor drain while the storm was running, the sewer was probably surcharged and the cleanup is handled as contaminated; see sewage backup cleanup. Roof and window-well repairs are separate trades, and a provider can tell you which ones you need to call. When a storm leaves the damage overhead instead of underfoot, the work is covered on the roof and ceiling leak page.
Insurance for storm and surface water works differently from insurance for a burst pipe, so documenting the damage matters. Read insurance claim basics and arrange a visit.
Storm and Flood Questions
Is water from outside treated differently?
Yes. Water that ran across ground, through a yard or out of a storm drain is treated as contaminated, which usually means porous materials it soaked are removed rather than dried. Clean water from a supply line is a different job.
My basement floods every spring. Is that a restoration job?
The cleanup is, but the cause is a drainage question: grading, downspouts, window well covers or a sump system. An independent provider can dry the space and tell you plainly what kept letting water in so you can have that corrected.
What should I do while waiting for the provider?
If it is safe, move contents up off the floor, keep everyone out of standing water near electricity, and take photographs. Do not start pulling up flooring before the damage is documented.
Can the ceiling stain from a hail storm wait?
It is worth having it looked at. A leak at the roof keeps wetting insulation and framing every time it rains or snows, and that is where mold starts. See signs of hidden water damage.
Arrange water damage service in Colorado Springs
Call and describe where the water is and how long it has run so a provider can assess the job.