What are the causes of basement flooding?

Basements flood for a number of reasons--from seepage through the walls or foundation, surface water sources, sanitary or storm sewer backup, and plumbing or equipment failure.

As the lowest level of your house, basements are inherently prone to flooding. Gravity moves water from high to low along the path of least resistance. Groundwater levels and water levels in sewers can, at times, be above the level of the basement floor. When this happens in conjunction with other factors--such as excessive rain or water runoff, breaks or blockages in pipes, or sump pump failure--you may experience basement flooding.

To learn more about why basement flooding happens and how to reduce the chance of it happening again, please view the following videos produced by the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction:

• Why Basements Flood
• Lot Drainage Issues
• The ABCs of Infiltration Flooding
• Plumbing Measures to Limit Basement Flooding
• Taking Action to Reduce Basement Flooding