Nearly a month's worth of rain fell in the last 24 hours. The heavy rain, melting snow, and mild temperatures caused flooding problems throughout southwestern Connecticut. Most rivers are at or above flood stage, and many low-lying areas are under water this morning. A Flood Warning remains in effect until 1:45 this afternoon for Fairfield and New Haven counties. Generally, two-to-three inches of rain fell across the region, resulting in flooding of a small waterfall in Weston.
My basement is usually a disaster area after heavy rain. My home is located across the street from a lake, and I live in a low-lying area. Further, a brook runs under my home, and that causes the basement to flood when the water table rises. One year ago, during the wettest March on record, I thought my basement wouldn't survive the extreme flooding. My two sump pumps were working overtime, and water was entering the cellar through the floor and walls. It was a losing battle.
However, Kevin, a friend of mine who kept a close eye on the basement while I was at work, decided to investigate while sweeping the water into the sump pumps. Eventually, he found a well-hidden small crack in the floor through which a steady stream of water was flowing into the basement. A couple of days later, after the basement dried out, he decided to take action and attempt to solve the problem. He brought a drill, cement, and a garden hose.
Kevin drilled a hole around the crack in the floor just large enough to insert one end of a garden hose. Next, he mixed cement and filled in the gaps around the nozzle of the hose to secure it in place. Finally, he placed the other end of the hose into one of the two sump pumps. Believe it or not, I haven't had a flooding problem since he placed the hose into the crack. The real test, however, happened last night when heavy rain caused serious problems in flood-prone areas.
Naturally, I had a tough time sleeping last night. The rain was pelting against the house, and I was worried about the basement. When I woke up early this morning, there wasn't a flood! There was a small puddle of water at the base of the stairs, but that was it. I couldn't believe it. The garden hose was working. The water was trickling into the sump pump. Naturally, I'm concerned about the pumps, though, since they will be working overtime the next couple of days. I took these photos this morning.
I'm hoping everything will be okay when I return home from work later this afternoon. Obviously, the sump pumps need power to keep working, and they won't be getting much of a break after last night's monsoon. I am going to call Kevin this afternoon and let him know that his solution is working beautifully. Now, I'm turning my attention to the next storm which will arrive Wednesday night into early Friday with more rain. I don't know how much more the ground can take. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
Paul
