This was a bit more than Henri. The brook not only flooded but it became a raging river and pummeled over the street and down the neighbor's driveway. If my culvert was backed up, his must have been as well because it was a tremendous amount of water. I've never seen it this high before. I saw a 3 trunk stump......and when I went to pick it up......it was FLOATING in the water and held in place only barely by the top fo the belgian block on my driveway. Of course that neighbor is on vacation and I was giving him regular updates throughout the day and then had to break the bad news. He said "I put a couple of towels at the door" and I was like "Yeah, I don't think that's going to help much". Another neighbor had his basement window wells flood over so I brought over 2 pieces of plywood that I had been using outside to lean against the house and at least draw some water away from the wells. When I drove there the water was ridiculous and it was just around the block. After helping him I went and covered my window wells. Ended up running out of plywood so I used 2 of the IBC tote covers for those bins of kindling I just made. Since they are planned for winter 2022 I was ok with them getting wet! Neighbor #3 then called and needed help. I tried to open up his sewer cleanout....but a) it was covered in rocks and mud and b) it looks like it was rusted solid. All the cleanouts I've seen are the lead type and just require a tappy-tap with a hammer and out they come. This one was not budging and he had water pee-ing through the wall. Helped out neighbor #4 who just had a procedure done and was still feeling the effects of the anesthesia so I drove to home depot earlier in the day and brought back (2) 10' pieces of 2"x3" gutter downspout. Hooked it into the gutter that he was pretty sure had a drainage blockage in the ground which caused water to pool. He said the water was flying out of the wall as if there was a spigot there. Here's looking down my driveway at the flooding during Henri. Never breached the wall. Here's what it looks like normally. You can't even see the top of the wall here!!! Just pouring down my neighbor's driveway. View of my house from across the street. The brook is right there and you can jsut barely see the rock wall My window well. Caught it just in time. Another use for IBC totes! Hopefully the wind does not go crazy. Neighbor's cleanout. What a disaster. I knew there were going to be problems when the ring of the cap just broke off by hand. Here's my brook with the water levels slightly receded.
Did you get any water in the house? that looks like a massive about of water in the street. I am surprised you were able to drive through it.
Not a drop! French drain on high side across profile if the house. Sump pump working. Fingers crossed. It was sketchy. Probably not one of the greatest decisions I ever made. Could barely see anything it was torrential.
Report from son in PA (near Reading) and said water in basement and standing water all over his lawn. Water everywhere.
Doing what I can. 3 of those neighbors lost power so they were really not having a good time but luckily it came back by 12am. All the towns here got soaked. Just too much water.
Just out of sheer curiosity: You helped a lot of neighbors out. Were any of them the ones that give you guff about your holz hausens?
No. There's only one neighbor like that and I don't speak to them at all. All the other ones are super cool. I help them. They help me, give me veggies and stuff. It's nice......except for that one bad apple, the neighborhood is very cool. I did not escape unscathed. There was a tiny bit of water at the front of the house in the basement where we previously had penetration. Looks like it might have come up fromt he ground or on the wall but I didn't feel like moving those shelves today. Just grabbed some towels and soaked it up and then I've got the fan on it now. Compared to everyone else I'm doing ok. My neighbor across the street down that steep driveway had over 2 feet of water on his backdoors so I'm 100% sure he got flooded. He's not home so it will not be fun when he gets back. Here's my water.
Scary stuff. Glad you came through mostly unscathed. Hats off to you for helping the neighbors. My unofficial rain gauge (5 gallon bucket) has 6.5" water total starting yesterday morning. The river below us is over its banks and i havent checked it out yet farther down. We live on a hill so flooding not an issue
My unofficial bucket had about 12" in there!!! The entire garden cart was filled to the brim by 11pm last night I had to dump it and flip it over. A few towels and now the fan running I should be fine but that still means that stoop is catching too much water. I might have to pile some gravel up against it and slope it to away from the corner where it gets stuck. Thanks. I have fun helping. Like a mini-Indiana-Jones type of adventure. The one guy has a 2-year old and another on the way. Home alone taking care of the kid and trying to work and clean up water in the basement because day cares are closed. If I were him I'd take all the help I can get!
I I just checked the lower storage room here (we live in a raised ranch) and some wetness in the corner. Either the gutter overflowing or frozen ground and water cant soak in and a heavy rain does that. I cleaned gutters but just the volume of rain. Fan running and just plastic bins so major problem.
Another kudos to you for lending a hand during a flood event. We've had our share over the years and know all to well the results of a flooded dwelling. Argh. Soooo glad my home place is high and dry! Careful with that Indiana Jones stuff
Good for you helping the neighbors out. I applaud you as so many people are in it just for themselves.
Thanks all. Just trying to do the right thing. I pulled the shelves out a bit and couldn't really figure out the source....except maybe there were a few spots in the concrete where someone had driven some nails and/or screws in..... So I whipped out some PC-7 2-part epoxy and just covered them up. I felt a tiny bit of wetness on the sill plate on the corner of the front door which is where the water would build up because of the stoop......but I didn't see any evidence of water dribbling down the wall that is painted bright white. I also scraped off some effervescence on the walls and will try and pick up a small container of Drylok to patch those spots up.
You made out great compared to your neighbors. And I believe you should get the "Neighbor of the Year Award" for what you did for others!
