For residents of Richmond and Chesterfield, the winter has been particularly wet. Although last Monday, February 25th, was a dry day for the Greater Richmond area, water buildup from previous storms caused the James River to rise.
The river reached 16.2 feet at the Richmond-Westham gauge and portions of the Virginia Capital Trail were underwater near the Great Shiplock Park and Rocketts Landing. This was the highest water level since January 27, 2010 when the river reached 18.1 feet.
Protecting Your Plumbing in a Flood
While the flood on February 25th was largely disruptive without being destructive, flooding rivers can worry some homeowners that their house may be under threat sometime in the future. Protecting your house against a flood involves some preventative maintenance beforehand and inspection afterwards.
Before the Water Level Threat Arrives
If you have a basement, check on your sump pump to ensure that it is working properly. If it runs on batteries, check that the batteries have enough juice. Check that the sump pump automatically turns on and begins pumping when it should. Mike Wilson will happily help with any questions you might have about sump pump installation and repair.
It is also a good idea to take stock of what you have in your basement and determine if anything can go in water-proof buckets or moved to other sections of the house. The extra effort may be worth saving those photo albums and vintage baseball cards.