I am SOOOO tired of bad weather wrecking my home...

Well, it's happened again.  Last night it thunderstormed with torrential rains literally all night long, and I knew when I got up this morning it was going to be bad.  And it was:

That is the view from my deck, looking at the back yard.  Trust me folks, there is supposed to be grass there, not 2 feet of water.

In spite of the fact that I spent tens of thousands of dollars last year putting in a drain-tile system with a back-up generator for the sump pump, and upgraded to a 1/2 HP pump, there was just no way it could keep up.  There is literally so much water pressure that the water is STREAMING into my in the corner of the basement.  There was almost a foot of water in the basement when I woke up this morning.  Since the rain has stopped, at least for now, the water has receded in the basement - it's still coming in, but the pump is able to keep up for the moment.

So once again, I will have to throw out a tun of stuff, including most of my family's clothes, which unfortunately were washed and folded neatly in baskets - on the basement floor...will need new carpet down there - the EPOS speakers I have down there (which are floorstanders) are likely ruined...as is the Denon receiver that powers them...my son's videogames...etc. etc...will have to tear out some of the drywall, probably...massive bummer.

Thanks Ian.  Yes, I live just outside the Chicago city limits. 

I really have no idea why we get so much water back-up in the back yard.  Happens to the neighbors on both sides of me, too, but not beyond that, as far as I can tell.

I do actually have insurance for basement water back-ups - so that part will be covered at least...but it will still be a huge bummer to deal with...

Thanks KRMathis.  Yes, this is now the third basement flood in 5 years.  I am going to take one more stab at prevention - I need to channel the water away from the house.  But if that fails, then yeah - time to move I guess.  But we've lived here 11 years and really like it...plus moving could just be trading one problem for another...

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheWuss 

rob, i'm sorry to hear that. 

 

i'm not one of those nuts that rants about climate change, but i do think the weather has done things in the last few years that are NOT NORMAL!

Thanks The Wuss.  I agree.  This just isn't normal, what's been going on here the last couple years.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheWuss 

friendly neighborhood architect reporting for duty.

 

you can install a storm water exfiltration system.

 

basically, that consists of a large chamber that would store all the excess storm water.  you would then route your gutters/downspouts to this chamber...

 

the chamber is perforated on the bottom to allow the water to slowly seep back into the water table underground.

 

the only hitch is you'd have to dig up a small portion of your back yard to install it.

 

http://www.stormtech.com/

Hmmmm...I will look into that!  Thanks.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Todd R 

Wow Rob.
Have you talked to the city about the drainage problem in your neighborhood, or is it just your place?

Seems like city the sewer system should be taking care of that.

 

I'm lucky here, just lost some tree limbs.

Indeed - the time has come for me to discuss this with the Village.  It's not just my place.  There is a drainage issue at the back of my property, effecting at least 6 adjoining properties.