Medford flooded basement cleanup

After months of summer heat, the first strong winter storm often runs off hard ground. Water sheets toward basement doors, stairwells and window wells. Hillside homes in Ashland and on Medford's east side deal with water running toward their uphill walls.

Bear Creek, which runs through Ashland and Medford to the Rogue at Central Point, floods regularly, and steep canyons near its headwaters send runoff into it quickly. Homes near the creek or the Rogue should know their flood zone. Plumbing failures round out the list. See the main flooded basement cleanup page.

Ashland has many older houses, some with basements, on slopes rising toward the Siskiyous. Uphill drainage, clean gutters and working drains behind retaining walls keep water out. In pre-1978 homes, ask about lead paint and asbestos before finishes are removed.

If you live near Bear Creek in Ashland, Medford or Central Point, or near the Rogue in Central Point or Grants Pass, check the flood maps and ask about flood insurance. The National Weather Service sets the Rogue's flood stage at 12 feet at the former Gold Ray Dam site. See the Medford area page.

Check the contractor with the Construction Contractors Board. Surface water and floods are commonly excluded; sudden plumbing failures are commonly covered.

Sort basement belongings quickly. Hard plastic, metal and glass can usually be cleaned; upholstered furniture, mattresses and cardboard that sat in runoff or floodwater usually cannot. Separate wet papers and photos before they stick together. Photograph what you discard.

Exterior basement stairwells and window wells collect runoff. Clear their drains before the rains, fit covers on wells and make sure the stairwell drain flows. If water came in at a window or door, the wall nearby is usually wettest.

Concrete holds water and dries slowly. Contractors measure it and wait for normal readings before rebuilding.

A drain pan under the heater, braided washer hoses, a leak sensor and water-tolerant flooring reduce damage next time. Fix drainage first if runoff was the cause.

The dry months are the time to regrade, add trench drains at basement doors and clean gutters before the first big storm.

Pipe water starts clean and many materials can be dried. Runoff and creek water are contaminated, and porous materials they soaked are usually removed. That decides much of the cleanup.

Expect questions about the source, depth, whether the basement is finished and whether the furnace or water heater got wet. Answers decide the equipment.

Central Point sits where Bear Creek meets the Rogue. Low homes there should know their flood zone and keep belongings off basement floors through the wet season.

Photograph the water level and damage before moving anything. Floods and surface water are commonly excluded; sudden plumbing failures are commonly covered. Flood insurance is usually a separate policy. Check the contractor's license with the Construction Contractors Board.

Grants Pass lies on the Rogue, and river-adjacent homes with basements or lower levels should know their flood zone and keep utilities and valuables off the floor.

Basements in older Medford homes near downtown were rarely waterproofed. Runoff and plumbing water get behind finishes; drywall is cut above the wet line and pad removed so the concrete can dry. Ask about lead paint and asbestos in pre-1978 houses before finishes come out.

Homes on the slopes toward Roxy Ann Peak deal with water running downhill to their uphill walls. Clean gutters, downspouts piped away from the slope and clear drains behind retaining walls keep it outside.

Basements that take on water every winter may need drain tile and a sump. Test it before the rains and consider a battery backup, since storms bring outages.