The situation

Illustrative example. Not a real job or customer.

A couple owns an older two-story house with a partly finished basement at the mouth of a small canyon in the foothills west of Colorado Springs. The previous summer, a wildfire burned the slopes above them but stopped short of their street. One July afternoon, a short, intense thunderstorm sits over the burn scar. Shortly afterward, dark water carrying ash, mud and burned twigs flows down the street and through a window well into the basement, leaving several inches of muck across the carpet.

  1. They stay upstairs until the water stops rising, then call the utility to shut off power to the basement circuits.
  2. They photograph the water line on the walls, the window well and the mud in the yard.
  3. They call their insurer and learn that flood is excluded from their homeowners policy; they had not bought separate flood coverage.
  4. Wearing boots, gloves and respirators, they shovel mud while it is still wet and remove the soaked carpet and pad.
  5. A contractor cuts out wet drywall, cleans the framing and sets up drying equipment.
  6. Once dry, they add a window well cover and talk with neighbors about diverting runoff away from the houses.

The basement is dried and rebuilt at their own expense. They buy flood coverage afterward, aware that a new policy typically has a waiting period. The following summer, with the window well covered and sandbags ready, a similar storm leaves mud in the yard but not the house.

What made this flood different

Source
Runoff from burned slopes upstream, not a pipe or high groundwater
Contents of the water
Ash, soil, burned debris and whatever lay along the way
Speed
Arrived quickly after a storm the household couldn't see from the house
Coverage
Flood excluded from the standard homeowners policy

Choices that came up during cleanup

  • IfCarpet and pad sat in ash-laden waterThenRemoved and discarded rather than cleaned.
  • IfDrywall wicked water above the visible lineThenCut out higher than the water mark after moisture readings.
  • IfStored boxes of papers and photos got wetThenPhotos were rinsed and air-dried; important papers were frozen until they could be dried properly.
  • IfThe furnace sat in the basementThenA technician inspected it before it was turned back on.

Lessons for homes below a burn scar

  • Check whether you need flood coverage, and buy it before the storm season
  • Cover window wells and keep sandbags or barriers on hand
  • Sign up for emergency alerts that cover flash flood warnings
  • Keep valuables and documents off the basement floor
  • Talk with neighbors and the city or county about runoff paths

General information for Colorado Springs, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.