When Rutherford Creek or McCutcheon Creek leaves its banks, the water does not stop at the yard. Once it is inside a house it is flood water, and it needs different handling than a leaking pipe.
Key takeaways
- Creek water that enters a house is contaminated from the start, so soaked porous materials are removed instead of dried in place.
- The May 1 to 2, 2010 Tennessee flood brought record rain and pushed creeks to record levels.
- On March 27 to 28, 2021, flash flooding closed Beechcroft Road and Old Kedron Road in Spring Hill and left the Kings Creek golf course looking like a lake.
- Power stays off in wet rooms, the high water mark gets photographed before cleanup, and carpet, pad and wet drywall are usually removed.
- A standard homeowners policy generally excludes rising outside water, so ask the insurer about a separate flood policy before a storm, not after.
Why creek water is not a plumbing leak
A broken supply pipe puts clean water on the floor. Creek water comes in carrying soil, fuel, fertilizer, animal waste and whatever else the runoff crossed on the way.
Restoration crews classify that as Category 3 water, the contaminated class in the IICRC S500 standard. The label applies as soon as the water crosses the threshold, however clear it looks.
That label changes the order of work. In storm and flash flood cleanup the crew protects people first, removes water and mud, takes out what cannot be cleaned and only then starts drying.
The three water categories
The IICRC S500 standard sorts water by how contaminated it is, and the category decides what can be saved.
- Category 1: clean water from a supply pipe or a tank, the easiest kind to dry in place.
- Category 2: gray water from a washer, dishwasher or AC drain pan, which can carry bacteria.
- Category 3: creek and flood water, sewage and any water that sat long enough to turn, which means porous materials come out.
What Spring Hill's creek floods have looked like
Spring Hill's creeks include Rutherford Creek and McCutcheon Creek, and USGS stream gauges record both. Rutherford Creek has gauges near and below the city, and McCutcheon Creek has one at Spring Hill.
May 1 to 2, 2010
The Tennessee flood of those two days brought record rain and pushed creeks to record levels, the kind of rise that puts water against buildings near a creek.
March 27 to 28, 2021
Flash flooding closed Beechcroft Road and Old Kedron Road in Spring Hill and left the Kings Creek golf course looking like a lake. Roads and open ground took the water, which is how most creek floods start: water fills low ground before it reaches a front door.
Neither event says anything about one particular house. Both show how fast creek water spreads over low ground and how quickly roads can close.
The first hours when water is already inside
Safety comes before saving anything. Stay out of the water if it is moving, and keep power off in every wet room until an electrician has checked the outlets and the panel.
- Moving water: Floodwater is stronger than it looks, and a flooded driveway or road can hide missing pavement.
- Power and gas: Do not touch outlets, cords or appliances while standing in water, and leave any gas smell to the gas utility.
- Protection: Wear rubber boots and gloves, and keep children and pets out of the affected rooms.
- Heating and cooling: A furnace or air handler that took on water stays off until a technician checks it.
- Photos: Capture the high water mark on the walls, the soaked belongings and the water outside before anything is moved.
- Valuables: Lift dry papers, electronics and keepsakes to higher ground, and leave heavy soaked furniture for the crew.
Calls to make early
Call the insurer and a restoration company early. Pumping and tear out can begin while the adjuster's visit is still being scheduled, as long as the photos and the high water mark are recorded first.
What the extraction and cleanup crew does
The extraction crew begins with pumps and extractors, then squeegees mud and silt toward low spots for removal. Water taken out as a liquid is water the walls and floors never have to give up as vapor, which is why water extraction comes first.
What comes out
Porous materials that sat in Category 3 water cannot be made safe by drying, so they are removed.
- Carpet and pad that sat in the water
- Drywall and insulation, cut out above the highest wet reading
- Swollen cabinet bases made of particleboard, and laminate flooring
- Mattresses, cardboard and upholstered furniture
What stays
Concrete, tile, framing and solid wood are scrubbed, treated with an EPA registered antimicrobial and left to dry. The mitigation team logs each step so the claim file shows what was removed and why.
Drying, and why 24 to 48 hours matters
Once the wet material is out, the drying team sets air movers and LGR dehumidifiers to the size of each room and takes moisture readings every day.
Those readings, not the calendar, decide when the equipment leaves. Framing and subfloor have to come within 2 to 4 points of a dry reference material, the target in the IICRC S500 standard.
Wet materials can start growing mold within 24 to 48 hours, so structural drying does not wait for the weather to improve.
A creek flood in an ordinary house takes several days to dry, and longer where water reached hardwood, concrete or the space under a floor.
Flood insurance and the paperwork
A standard homeowners policy generally covers water from a broken pipe but excludes water that rises from outside the house. Creek and flash flood damage is usually covered only by a separate flood policy, written through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer.
Flood policies usually do not start the day they are bought, so the time to ask the insurer is before storm season, not after the water rises.
A claim file started on the first day holds these items:
- Photos and video of every room before cleanup starts
- A list of damaged items with their rough age and value
- The drying team's daily moisture readings and equipment log
- Receipts for emergency repairs, storage and temporary housing
Getting ready before the next heavy rain
Spring Hill's 2021 flood closed roads and covered open ground, so the useful preparation is small and done in advance.
- Know where the main water shutoff and the electrical panel are, and keep a flashlight near both.
- Keep stored boxes and important papers off garage and ground floor floors.
- Walk the yard after a hard rain and note where water collects against the house.
- Photograph each room while it is dry, which gives an adjuster a before picture.
Questions
Can flooded carpet be saved after creek water?
Not when the water came from outside. Carpet and pad that sat in Category 3 water are removed and replaced, while hard flooring can often be cleaned in place.
Is it safe to clean up creek flood water without help?
A shallow spill on a hard floor can be handled with boots, gloves and disinfectant. Water that reached walls, carpet or a large area carries contamination that calls for trained crews and protective gear.
How long does drying take after a creek flood?
Several days in a typical house, and longer where hardwood, concrete or a crawl space took on water. The drying team reads moisture daily and removes equipment only when readings reach the dry reference.
Does homeowners insurance cover creek flooding?
Usually not. Rising outside water is generally excluded and covered by a separate flood policy, so read the policy wording and call the insurer before cleanup begins.
What should be photographed first?
The high water mark on the walls, the soaked contents and the water outside the house, all taken before anything is moved or thrown out.