Devastation of the Greensboro, Kansas: How to Deal with a Flooded Basement During Severe Weather

Living in Kansas City, Missouri and having recently witnessed on the news the devastation of the Greensboro, Kansas, tornado leaves one feeling rather helpless.

I didn't know anyone in Greensboro, however I have friends who know people there. Because these people want to remain anonymous, I will just say that some rode out the storm in their vehicles as they were passing through to visit family. Others had to rescue family members and take them to a safe location. The town was wiped out.

Though I am four or five hours away from Greensboro, Kansas, I can say that Kansas City, Missouri recently got over nine inches of rain in some parts. This has caused flooding around town and especially in people's basements. Several of my neighbors' homes experienced flooded basements and as a result, they were left with a big mess on their hands.

A few years ago, our basement flooded and we lost a lot. We managed to get our private lines and the water department's mains changed out, at no cost to us. In fact, the Kansas City Missouri Water Department ended up owing us for damage. Not everyone is so lucky.

Many of my neighbors called in private companies to pump their basements and have them cleaned. There are certain steps to be taken when this happens. From my personal experience, here's what we did.

Call your local city or water dept. Although many will not pay for damage if your basement floods, with a good lawyer or knowledgeable plumber, you might be able to get a settlement. This usually depends on the water line and what exactly caused the damage. We had raw sewage coming into our basement and this was definitely NOT our problem. The water main was too small and they ended up changing it out. Also, twigs and branches had blocked the city pipes or something, causing backup in our basement. The water department came out and with a sump pump cleared the water.

Next, an insurance adjuster came out and assessed the damage. This is where it's important to keep a list of items that were damaged in the storm or flood. The adjuster will want to walk through your basement, take pictures and etc., and talk with you about the cost of items that were lost.