FYI: Where I'll be...

Ouch!!!! That sucks big time but at least your family is safe and you have friends that are willing to help you out. Good luck man and I hope things start to get a bit better soon.

[BrianG]

Update:

River water levels went from over 16 feet to just under 8 feet in a matter of around 24 hours. Basement is a complete mess, but there's only about 1" of water left. Unfortunately, the forecast is predicting another full 24 hours of thunderstorms, so the flooding will probably be even worse than before. I picked up a compression plug for the storm drain, but I'm not sure how well that will work. So, here's to hoping...

The city is talking about buyouts for some of the properties in my area. If that happens, I will be MORE than willing to jump at the chance despite all the work that's been done to the house since the ex left. Sometimes, you just gotta cut your losses...

[Finnster]

Sux man.. :( didn't your house flood last yr?

[PBO]

Jeez Brian, that freakin sucks!

I hope you get a good outcome & the kids aren't too disrupted or upset by the drama & change

[BrianG]

Yeah, the basement gets a little water every year around this time (usually more so in June), but nothing even remotely close to this. Seems to steadily be getting worse year by year, but no one expected this level.

Turns out the city buyout is only for a select few homes. After this is all done, I'd sell the place, but who the hell is gonna buy a flood-prone house in this market? Even when I do get everything replaced and cleaned up, it's only a matter of time before it happens again and back to square one. Just want to walk away from this place.

Ugg. I wanna go punch something...

[simplechamp]

Originally Posted by BrianG

Turns out the city buyout is only for a select few homes.

How does that work out? I would guess there will be a lot of people in your situation who are saying "Why are these particular houses getting bought out, and not ours?" Maybe you can explain the details I'm missing, but it seems like a select few are getting a bailout, and the rest are getting screwed. I suppose that's par for the course in our governing system...

[georgec]

Wow, sorry to hear it all =( We recently had what they are now calling a 500yr flood in the middle TN area, 22" of rain in less than two days. FEMA was able to help allot of the flood victims. Maybe there is something they can do financially for you? Anyway good luck!

[BrianG]

Originally Posted by simplechamp

How does that work out? I would guess there will be a lot of people in your situation who are saying "Why are these particular houses getting bought out, and not ours?" Maybe you can explain the details I'm missing, but it seems like a select few are getting a bailout, and the rest are getting screwed. I suppose that's par for the course in our governing system...

I'm not really sure how that works. The gov't (fed, state, and local) probably figures it would be cheaper (and safer) in the long run to buy out the property than to continue paying out benefits via FEMA every year. And anyway, you'd be surprised how many people choose to stay and rebuild knowing there is more than a good chance it will happen again next year. I suspect fraud; they claim whatever, get the check, then go out and get the cheapest stuff at garage sales or whatever, and pocket the rest. Personally, pocketing a few bucks is not worth dying for if the water rises while you are sleeping. I think that if people refuse the buyout, they should be exempt from future benefits of any kind.

Originally Posted by georgec

Wow, sorry to hear it all =( We recently had what they are now calling a 500yr flood in the middle TN area, 22" of rain in less than two days. FEMA was able to help allot of the flood victims. Maybe there is something they can do financially for you? Anyway good luck!

Yeah, that's what they are calling it here too; "100 year" or "500 year" floods. I think it's supposed to mean it happens once every 100/500 years, but I'm beginning to think it means the floods lasts 100/500 years! And regarding FEMA, yeah, they can probably help out, but the same crap is going to keep happening.

[magman]

Best of luck Brian. I feel for you. My folks live in a similar situation with water issues. they installed a french drain system 10 yrs. ago and it has saved their bacon many times

[BrianG]

Unfortunately, that wouldn't have helped. Not when the water level outside is high enough where it gushes from a 3" floor drain as well as seeping in through the floor/walls. My sump pumps water out of a 1.5" hose non-stop at a decent clip and it couldn't keep up.

I'd have to install something like a French drain system, and have multiple sumps, some of which run on 12v battery for when the electric company shuts off power. Even then, when the water gets to the windows, it will flow in no matter how many pumps you have. To really do it right, I should pick the house up and put it on a ship's hull.

[magman]

Lifting the house could be a viable option if you stay where you are. I have seen houses lifted to escape flood areas

[BrianG]

lol, yeah, that's an option I suppose. But if I could afford to do that, I wouldn't be in the area I'm in...

[JERRY2KONE]

Sorry to hear about your situation BG. Your view seems to be quite common in todays news. There is flooding going on in many countries around the globe today and not much is being stated about why just yet, but it seems that we are experiencing freakish weather that may or may not be a cycle that we should have expected on many levels.

As for your house, sorry to hear of your experience. One has to consider all of the variables and decide whether it is time to bail or stick it out. My opinion is living in any kind of a flood zone is too great of a risk. Especially when family is involved. Life is too short to put yourself in that situation. Maybe try to communicate with the bank and get out while you still can. River front or river view property has its issues, and I would not buy anything less than 30 feet above sea level with the predictions of high water levels. With the threat of global warming looming I fear that things are only going to get worse in the comming years. I would try my best to live in a higer elavation for sure. Good luck Brian.

[PBO]

I noticed this article just now

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/cl...812-120th.html

[BrianG]

Update: Was able to move back into the house last night. Basement is a mess understandably, and spent all days yesterday hauling everything upstairs and outside to throw away. Man, am I tired and sore! Waterlogged items are NOT light! City inspectors came over this morning and told me pretty much what I already knew: hot water tank, furnace, washer/dryer need to be replaced. Today's task is to hose down and squeegee the basement (how ironic that I will be adding MORE water), and then sparying it down with bleach to kill germs/mold. Ug.

Oh, and a helpful tip: Plastic storage bins do float, but not so well if cracked. Also, if unbalanced, they tip over, rendering their water-proof properties invalid.

Jerry: From what I've researched, this repeating weather pattern has been greatly influenced by a static jet stream. Usually, it fluctuates over time, but lately has been static for over a week. This causes weather patterns to rotate over an area bringing the same weather over and over and over again. Scientists don't know why or how it shifts, it just does - and is hard to predict. It does go static every so often, it just was static for a lot longer than usual this time. Just the last day or two it has shifted like it is supposed to, so patterns should start varying once again. Just here alone, it has gone from 90*F+ and ~90% humidity and rain, to much dryer and cooler sunny days.