05 Oct Does Flooding Damage Foundation?

Does Flooding Damage Foundation?

Unfortunately, in the last couple of decades, we have witnessed how the aftermath of a flood can be devastating. Flood damage not only destroys the structure and contents of a property, but it also has a significant, negative impact on its foundation, demanding an immediate response and repair.

With more than 3,288 linear miles of shoreline along four out of five Great Lakes, Michigan could be at risk for severe flooding events. The State is surrounded by 20% of the World’s fresh water, which makes Michigan the stewards of the nation’s longest freshwater coastline.

According to the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (previously the DEQ, now EGLE), “Buildings located in many low-lying areas of the Great Lakes have been repeatedly damaged by coastal flooding. In Michigan, coastal floods periodically result in millions of dollars of property loss to homes and businesses. State and local government facilities and operations are also severely affected by flooding and post-flood recovery costs. Approximately 300 miles of Michigan’s Great Lakes mainland is subject to coastal flooding”.

The EGLE’s mission is to protect Michigan’s environment and public health by managing air, water, land, and energy resources.

In fact, just a few months prior, EGLE announced that sixteen Michigan dams would get safety upgrade funding through a $15.3M risk reduction program to help reduce risks and protect residents. The funding is through the Dam Risk Reduction Grant Program (DRRGP) authorized by the Michigan Legislature last year.

This DRRGP aims to provide private owners with resources to properly manage existing dams and reduce the overall risk of dam failure in Michigan. Some $15.3 million is authorized for work ranging from dam removals to critical maintenance.

What this signifies is that flooding is a real risk for the State of Michigan. If you do not think it is essential to repair infrastructure such as dams, bridges, levees, etc., just look at what happened in Louisiana during the infamous Hurricane Katrina. As a direct result of the levy breaking, it destroyed the historic city of New Orleans.

Here’s a fun fact: according to PureMichigan.org, “the Great Lakes holds over 5,400 cubic miles of water. Of this amount, Lake Superior holds 2,900 cubic miles, or 3 quadrillion gallons — accounting for more than 50% of the water. The rest is distributed among the other four lakes, with Lake Michigan holding the second most, Huron third, Ontario fourth, and Erie holding the least”.

So what is there to do to help prevent total property loss due to a disaster such as flooding from a damn break? Let’s look at what occurs in a disaster relief situation and how to ensure your property is covered by conducting a disaster recovery audit.

What are the 4 phases of disaster relief?

These common elements allow you to prepare for and protect yourself and your animals from disaster. Emergency managers consider disasters recurring events with four phases: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.

However, if you are currently going through or have been through a natural disaster that destroyed your property, the first step in that process would be “response.” Hopefully, if you have hired a professional restoration company, they will go through the other steps as well to put the proper resolution into place for potential future incidences.

It is noteworthy to mention that these four phases are interconnected and often overlap. Each phase builds upon the previous one and the lessons learned from previous disasters. Effective disaster management requires comprehensive planning, collaboration across multiple sectors, and continuous improvement based on past experiences.

When it comes to the response and recovery phases, our experts permanently fix foundations using over twenty-five years of experience and knowledge regarding Michigan basements and foundation walls with our proven local Metro Detroit area experience and exclusive patented foundation repair products.

The highly skilled foundation experts at SAS Services, Inc. will restore structural integrity to buildings and residential foundations, repairing settling, cracks, bowing, and damaged residential and commercial foundations.

Disaster recovery audit program

It’s been proven repeatedly, especially in recent years, that disaster can and will strike anywhere at any time. Even those living in the Midwest and Great Lakes area need to remember that we are not immune to natural disasters, especially when it comes to flooding.

According to The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), statistics show, “The U.S. has sustained 371 weather and climate disasters since 1980 where overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion (including CPI adjustment to 2023),”.

“…The total cost of these 371 events exceeds $2.615 trillion. In 2023 (as of September 11), there have been 23 confirmed weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each to affect United States. These events included 2 flooding events, 18 severe storm events, 1 tropical cyclone event, 1 wildfire event, and 1 winter storm event.

The settling and shifting of foundations can often be caused by building a structure on expanding or contracting soil due to freezing or holding water after a disaster, improperly compacted fill soils, or from poor landscaping around the home or building’s foundation.

Whatever the cause, this settlement can ruin your building’s value. Whether you are experiencing settling foundations, bowed or cracked foundation walls, cracks in drywall, sagging floor joists, or having a home sitting on unsuitable foundation soils, SAS Services, Inc. can solve your foundation problems.

(NCEI is the Nation’s Scorekeeper in terms of addressing severe weather and climate events in their historical perspective. As part of its responsibility of monitoring and assessing the climate, NCEI tracks and evaluates climate events in the U.S. and globally that have significant economic and societal impacts)

Does flooding damage foundation?

In conclusion, it is evident that flooding can have a significant impact on a property’s foundation, causing damage and requiring immediate repair. With Michigan’s extensive shoreline and the risk of coastal flooding, it is crucial to prioritize the maintenance and repair of infrastructure such as dams and levees.

Engaging professional restoration companies like SAS Services, Inc. can ensure that foundations are restored and reinforced to withstand future flooding events, providing long-term structural integrity and peace of mind.