Storm water reaches a Syracuse home by running over the curbs, through underpasses and across the yard to the lowest opening. A local news guide to the city's flash-flood spots says intense storms can fill underpasses to windshield height and push water over the curbs, so the lowest door, window well and bulkhead are the first places to protect.
Key takeaways
- A local news guide to Syracuse's flash-flood spots says intense storms push water over the curbs and fill underpasses to windshield height.
- Street water enters a home at its lowest opening, such as a door sill, bulkhead or window well, and tracks along the floor.
- Street water is treated as contaminated, so the room it reached needs cleaning, not only drying.
- Never walk, drive or wade through moving water in a street or underpass, since the depth and the hidden hazards are hard to judge.
- Temporary barriers can hold back shallow water from dry ground, while larger changes to the grade need a contractor and the local office's approval.
- Record the entry point and the water line, since the insurer and the crew both need to know how the water arrived.
How does street water reach a home?
Street water reaches a home when the storm drains cannot carry the rain away and the water runs over the ground to the lowest point. It enters at the lowest opening it can reach, and the house's grade, doors and window wells decide which one that is.
A street is shaped to shed water toward its drains. In a heavy storm the drains fill, and the water spreads across the road and onto the yards beside it. A house on lower ground takes the water at whatever opening sits lowest, which can be a few steps from the curb.
The route can be short. A door sill, a bulkhead or a window well at street level can be the entry, and the water then runs down the stairs or along the floor to the basement's lowest point. The crew reads that route when it arrives, since the entry shows where the water tracked.
What happens at an underpass during a storm?
An underpass is a low point of the road, so it collects storm water first. A local news guide says intense storms can fill Syracuse underpasses to windshield height, and water that leaves an underpass can spread to nearby streets and buildings.
Water in an underpass does not stay there. When the level rises above the curb or the adjacent ground, it runs out to the streets and yards close by. A building beside a low road can take water that never touched its own yard, because it came from the underpass.
The depth in an underpass is hard to judge from the edge. Water can hide a dip, an open manhole or debris, and a car that enters can be trapped. Do not drive or walk into the water, and do not try to cross it on foot to reach a property.
| Route | What it looks like | What to protect first |
|---|---|---|
| Over the curb and across the yard | Water runs across the lawn toward the house | The lowest door and the sill |
| Through a bulkhead | Water runs down the steps into the basement | The bulkhead door and the steps |
| Into a window well | The well fills and water runs down the wall behind the glass | The well cover and its drain |
| Under a door | Water appears at the threshold and tracks across the floor | The threshold and the sill seal |
| From a low road or underpass | Water spreads from the road to nearby yards | Any opening on the side nearest the low ground |
Why is street water treated as contaminated?
Street water picks up grit, oil, soil and organic matter from the road and the yards, so it is not clean water. The residues settle on floors and wall bases, and they can leave a film that holds moisture, so the room needs cleaning as well as drying.
A crew treats the water as contaminated from the start. It wears protective equipment, removes the silt and debris before the drying equipment is placed, and cleans the floor and the sill with a detergent before it applies any treatment.
The contamination matters for the materials too. Porous materials that have soaked up street water, such as carpet, pad and the paper facing on drywall, usually cannot be cleaned to a safe level, and they are removed. Hard surfaces can often be cleaned and dried in place.
What can you do before a storm to keep street water out?
Before a storm, keep the window well and the yard drain clear, check that the bulkhead and doors seal, and plan a temporary barrier for the lowest opening. Those steps cost little and can keep shallow street water out of the basement.
Clear the window well of leaves and debris, and check its cover or grate. Keep the yard drain or catch basin near the house free of leaves so that water can run toward the drain rather than to the door. A bulkhead door that fits badly should be repaired, since a gap lets water in at the lowest point.
A temporary barrier, such as boards or sandbags placed from dry ground, can hold back shallow water at a door or bulkhead. Do not work in moving water to place it, and remove it once the storm has passed so that it does not hold water against the door.
- Clear the window well and check its cover or grate
- Keep the yard drain near the house clear of leaves
- Check that the bulkhead door and the doors seal properly
- Have boards or sandbags ready, to be placed from dry ground
- Photograph the entry points now, as a known starting condition
When does a grade change need a permit?
A change to the grade of the yard can be a larger job that needs a contractor and may need a permit from the office that covers the property. Ask that office whether a change is allowed before any work starts, since the rules depend on the location.
Regrading, adding a retaining wall or fitting a backflow device changes how water moves across the property. Each of these may need a permit, and each should be planned with a contractor who knows the local rules.
The sourced material for this guide does not name the office that issues permits for each Syracuse address. Ask the City of Syracuse office that covers the property, or the town or village office if the address is outside the city.
What should you do during a street flood?
During a street flood, stay out of moving water, keep the power off to any flooded area until an electrician confirms it is safe, and call a crew if water is entering the house. Move valuables up and out of the lowest room if it is safe to do so.
Do not walk or drive into the water, and keep children and pets away from it. Water can be deeper and faster than it looks, and manholes or sharp debris can be hidden beneath its surface.
If water is entering the house, tell the dispatcher where it is coming in, how deep it is and whether it is still rising. That description helps the crew bring the right equipment and plan the first visit.
What should you record after street water entry?
Record the entry point, the water line, the time the water was found and the materials affected. Those records explain how the water arrived, which the crew uses for its plan and the insurer uses for its decision.
Photograph the entry point, the water line on each wall and the debris that came in. Note the time the water was first seen and whether the street was flooded at the time, and keep the crew's note and readings in one file.
The New York State Department of Financial Services is the state regulator for insurers. An owner whose claim for street water is disputed can raise the handling of the claim with the department, and should keep the photographs and readings to support the account.
What does local reporting tell you, and what does it not?
A local news guide to Syracuse's flash-flood spots describes how intense storms behave in the city. It is a useful picture of the problem, but it is not a survey of every street, so the crew's reading of your property is the reliable record of what entered it.
The guide describes storms that push water over the curbs, fill underpasses to windshield height and back sewage into basements. Those are the routes a homeowner should plan for. The guide does not establish the depth or the timing at any particular address, and an owner should not read it as a forecast for their own street.
Use the reporting to decide what to protect, and use the FEMA panel and the readings to decide what the repair needs. The two sources answer different questions, and an insurer will look for the property's own records rather than the news account.
What should you tell the crew about the entry?
Tell the crew where the water came in, what it looked like, how deep it was when you saw it and whether it is still moving. Those four details help the crew bring the right equipment and find the entry point quickly.
Point the crew to the lowest door, the window well and the bulkhead, and say which of them had water at the time. If the water came over a neighbouring yard or from a low road, say so, since the route shapes where the crew reads the building.
If you took photographs during the storm, show them to the crew. A photograph of the water on the street or in the yard shows the route, and the crew can match it to the readings on the wall and the floor.
Frequently asked questions
Is street water the same as flood water?
They overlap. Street water is storm water that runs over the ground and into a building, and it is often shallow but contaminated. Whether a policy treats it as flood depends on the policy wording.
Why did only one room flood when the street was full?
Water enters at the lowest opening and tracks along the floor and the wall base. The room with that opening takes the water first, and the others stay dry unless the water moves through the house.
Can I put sandbags across the door?
Shallow water can be held back with sandbags or boards placed from dry ground. Do not work in moving water to do it, and remove the barrier after the storm.
Will my insurance pay for water that came from the street?
That depends on your policy. Many standard policies exclude flood water unless a flood policy or endorsement is held, so read the terms and ask the insurer to explain its position in writing.
Should I regrade my yard to stop the water?
Regrading can help, but it is a larger job that can need a contractor and a permit. Ask the office that covers the property whether a change is allowed before any work begins.
Sources
- City of Syracuse – Floodplains
- FEMA – Flood Maps
- New York State Department of Financial Services – Consumer Assistance
This guide is general information for Onondaga County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.