Answers to some of the common questions about flooding

SALT LAKE CITY — In the last week, spring runoff has produced flooding in some areas across the Wasatch Front. That has led to many questions about flooding.

As flood season continues, is it time to think about flood insurance?

 

Matt Hansen, with Any Hour Services, joined Dave and Dujanovic, on Wednesday, with hosts Dave Noriega and Debbie Dujanovic to discuss some of those flood-related questions.

Dujanovic starts off the conversation by asking, “let’s just start with the wiring and the electrical. If it gets compromised or you fear as a homeowner that the water is going to impact your electrical system, how do you safely address that without killing yourself?”

Hansen replied stating that every home is wired differently and is different in its own way. But stressed that water and power do not mix.

“What we’ve instructed our technicians as they’re coming in and evaluating the home with the standing water is first just shut off the power at the main breaker out of the home,” Hansen said. “Before you start investigating to see how much damage and what’s going on.”

Questions and comments about flooding

In this segment, Dave & Dujanovic read comments and questions from a text line submitted by listeners.

“You should take off your toilet in your basement and let the water run down into the sewer to get it out of the basement,” one text read.

Dujanovic asked, “Is that safe? Or is that problematic?”

“So yes, that would work,” Hansen said. “And the water will disappear. Now, however, the stormwater going into the sewer is against the law.”

He says dump pumps can’t be hooked up to the sewer because the systems can’t handle it.

Damages to a basement

Another comment from the text line read “one family’s basement had been flooded in the tune of $20,000 in repairs that have had to be done just so far.”

Dujanovic asked, “Is that what it costs to repair a basement?”

Hansen says it just depends on the status of the basement. 

“It doesn’t sound crazy,” Hansen said.

Additionally, with storm water, Hansen says, carpet and pads can be saved if you can get fans going and air circulating throughout the home. 

If water sits too long, however, a lot of dangerous molds start to form that can cause health issues.

“And so the quicker they find it,” Hansen said. “And get the water down to where they can start drying stuff out, the cheaper it’s going to be.”

 

Dave & Dujanovic can be heard weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon. on KSL NewsRadio. Users can find the show on the KSL NewsRadio website and app, as well as Apple Podcasts and Google Play.  

More on protecting your home from flooding:

• Utah Flooding: How to prevent and mitigate the risk
• Where to get sandbags to help mitigate possible flooding in Utah

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