Purdue Extension Service
Purdue Extension Service
Vanderburgh County, Indiana
Subject: HORT ALERT: Flood Damage
March 19, 2008
With a near-record amount of rainfall deluging the Tri-State over the last couple of days, many of us are experiencing problems with flooded basements and homes, as well as soggy gardens.
If you have a flooded home or basement from recent storms, Purdue Extension has helpful information, including the list of publications below. You can reach us two ways: * Call toll-free 888-398-4636 and ask for the Purdue Extension office in your county. (Vanderburgh County contact information is below). Or, * Go to our Disaster and Emergency Management Resources Web site at: www.ces.purdue.edu/eden/ . Click on the Flood link.
Some of the articles on that page that will be especially helpful right now include:
First Steps to Flood Recovery: This brochure outlines the first steps you can take to recover from a flood and tells you where you can get more information.
What to do after a flood: Find steps to take after a flood has occurred.
What You Should Do If Your Water Well Has Been Flooded: Water from a well that has been flooded should be assumed to be contaminated. This new page provides homeowners and Extension Educators with information and steps to deal with flooded wells.
Septic System Performance in Flooded and Soggy Soil Conditions: If you have a septic system, it is important to watch your home water use during periods of heavy precipitation and flooding. Included in this link are some suggestions on how to reduce your wastewater.
Flood Sanitation: The linked information will be of assistance to homeowners and citizens both during and after a flood or other disaster which affects private residences, water supplies, and other facilities.
Repairing Your Flooded Home: A comprehensive guide dealing with drying out your home, restoring utilities, and cleaning up.
Cleaning and Repairing Flooded Basements: A guide to getting water out and preventing future problems.
Home Repair and Cleaning after a Flood: A detailed list of various cleaning supplies and their uses
Where to Test your Water in Indiana: Everyone should have their water tested for bacteria, nitrate, and lead when they move to a house with a private well, and at least every few years after that. This site provides information on who to contact for your water testing needs.
Mold in the Home Resource Guide: Information pertaining to the prevention and clean-up of molds along with flooding concerns
Garden and Landscape Triage (After the Storm): Advice for those looking for answers regarding water damage to landscape, trees, and garden plants.
One extra warning I want to make at this time: The soil is super-saturated right now. This puts large trees, especially those with restricted root systems, at considerable risk. If we get a strong wind storm, these trees will be more at risk of being uprooted than they would if the soil was drier. Fortunately, there is no foliage on most of the big deciduous trees, so they are less likely to catch the wind and be uprooted. Unfortunately, evergreens (pines, spruce, etc) are at extreme risk.
There is nothing practical we can do to prevent trees from uprooting. My advice right now would be to examine your trees now, and note any lean or bends. Examine the ground right at the base of the trunk...is it beginning to rise up on one side? Continue to check these trees every couple of days, to see if the lean or soil rising is increasing. I’d mostly worry about trees near homes or streets.
If there is significant or increasing lean, contact a licensed tree trimmer immediately. They may be able to cut away enough of the tree to prevent damage to your home and then, after the storms are past, finish the removal. At the very least, do not park under these leaning trees, and if they are leaning toward your house, you might be safest if you stay away from that side of the house until the tree can be removed.
Don’t try to tie ropes or chains around a tree to keep it from falling over, especially if it’s a large tree. There is nothing you can attach that line to that will keep a big, heavy tree from going over. Smaller trees can be kept upright using stakes and guy-lines, but be aware, the soil is probably too soft and moist to hold the stakes.
Small trees that are partially uprooted might be saved. Some uprooted plants can be reset if the root ball is fairly intact with a compact root system and white healthy roots are showing and most of the top growth remains.
For a list of licensed tree trimmers in Evansville, go to this site: http://www.evansvillegov.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=2921 . It will open up an Excel page with the list of licensed trimmers.
Please contact me by e-mail or phone if you have any questions.