This rainstorm has officially made 2015 the wettest year on record for St. Louis. Florissant has received somewhere on the order of 6 to 8 inches of rain with more continuing to fall. We have received several calls about flooding, basement backups and ponding. Here are a few tips to help depending on the situation:
- Water is coming into the basement through the floor drain, or if there is several inches of standing water in the basement:
o MSD has a list of steps to take after a sewer backup. They can be found HERE.
o The property owner needs to contact MSD immediately (314-768-6260 or CustomerSvc@stlmsd.com). MSD may not be able to offer immediate help but it is vitally important that their call gets logged into MSD's system. This may help them identify sewer main blockages and also help the property owner become eligible for certain MSD programs, such as partial reimbursement of damages and/or their Sewer Separation Program (SSP). A link to the SSP program can be found here: LINK
- Complaints of water seeping into the basement from the walls.
o It is likely most homes in the City have this occurring. Not much can be done right now; however, the property owner should check their downspouts to ensure they are draining well away from the foundation. Property owners can look for low areas around their foundation and address these once the rain stops. Despite these steps water may still seep into the basement due to the excessive rainfall saturating the soils surrounding their house.
- Complaints of yard ponding.
o Most yards have bad ponding currently. If you suspect an MSD storm sewer inlet is clogged contact MSD 314-768-6260. We will not inspect yard ponding during a rain event since it is a normal condition. Ponding that lasts for several days/weeks will be inspected by the Engineering Division. This long term ponding should also be reported to MSD.