Help Available For Cleaning Out Flooded Basements 

Release Date: September 26, 2004
Release Number: 1558-012

» More Information on West Virginia Severe Storms, Flooding and Landslides

CHARLESTON, W. Va. -- Because basements in disaster-hit buildings are subject both to flooding and sewer backup, they can be especially vexing to restore. But help is available in cleaning out flooded basements.

First, in West Virginia, the definition of a basement is a room with all four walls below grade. A space with three walls below grade but the fourth at grade level is considered the lowest floor of a building, not the basement.

If a home or business owner has insurance under the National Flood Insurance Program, electrical components, a furnace, water heater or other essential components in the basement are insured. Furnishings and other non-essential elements are not.

For those without insurance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Individual and Households program may provide funding to help sanitize a basement, repair essential components or clean furnace and air-conditioner ductwork.

Building owners in need of help to remove muck from basements should contact local volunteer agencies and/or their local emergency management agency. FEMA is working with state and local emergency managers on hiring “muck out” crews locally. Funding of such crews will be on a cost-sharing basis.

Care should be taken in pumping out basements. Pumping should be done in shallow increments, with attention paid to whether pressure in saturated ground outside a wall is overcoming pressure inside. “Hydrostatic (pressure) balance” is important to keep basement walls from caving in. Water should be pumped down a foot at a time, while watching to see if it rises again. If the level remains stable, repeat the process until the water is gone.

Once flooded basements are cleared, measures should be taken to reduce the chances of repeat damage, advised FEMA’s Lou Botta, federal coordinating officer, and Stephen Kappa, West Virginia’s state coordinating officer. Property owners should ensure that sump pumps are working properly. Furnaces, water heaters and washers and dryers should be elevated, if not moved upstairs.

For people with disaster-related damages, help is only a phone call away. To register with FEMA, call 1-800-621-3362 or, for the hearing or speech-impaired, TTY 1-800-462-7585. Operators are on hand 24 hours a day until further notice.

On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.

Last Modified: Monday, 27-Sep-2004 10:22:03