Basement Flood from Storm Runoff — Kaysville, UT

Loss Type: Category 2 Water / Storm Runoff Intrusion
Location: Kaysville, UT near Crestwood Drive
Response Time: 68 minutes
Job Duration: 5 days
Insurance: Yes – American Family (with flood endorsement)

The Situation

Following a heavy late-spring rainstorm, a homeowner near Crestwood Drive in Kaysville, UT discovered several inches of water in their unfinished basement. Surface runoff from a saturated hillside behind the property had overwhelmed the window well drainage on the west side of the home, pushed past the window seal, and entered through two basement windows. Approximately 400 square feet of basement floor was flooded to a depth of 2 to 3 inches.

The homeowner called at 8:30 PM during the storm. Our water damage restoration team arrived at 9:38 PM with truck-mounted extraction equipment.

The Problem

Storm runoff that enters through window wells and foundation gaps is classified as Category 2 water under the IICRC S500 standard because it contacts soil, debris, and exterior contaminants before entering the structure. This means all porous materials in contact with the water — including any stored cardboard boxes, wood shelving units, and a section of OSB subfloor near the utility area — required evaluation for contamination and potential removal.

The more significant structural concern was the basement’s concrete block foundation walls. Water had been in contact with the base of the block walls long enough to begin wicking upward through the porous concrete. Moisture readings on the block wall faces showed elevated levels 18 inches above the floor line, a pattern that requires an extended drying protocol to fully address.

What We Did

We began truck-mounted extraction immediately, removing the bulk water from the basement floor. Affected personal contents — cardboard boxes and wood shelving — were evaluated and removed as contaminated material. The OSB subfloor section near the utility area showed elevated moisture and was removed to allow direct drying of the concrete beneath.

Because concrete block foundation walls absorb and release moisture slowly, we established an extended drying protocol:

• 4 commercial dehumidifiers positioned to maintain low relative humidity across the full basement
• 6 air movers directed at wall bases and the exposed concrete floor
• Desiccant dehumidifier added on day 3 to accelerate drying of the block wall faces
• Daily moisture readings on concrete floor, block walls at 6 and 18 inch heights, and any remaining wood materials

An antimicrobial treatment was applied to all affected concrete surfaces per IICRC S500 Category 2 protocol before drying equipment was removed.

The Outcome

All concrete surfaces reached target moisture content by day 5. The block walls dried to within acceptable range with the desiccant assist on the final two days. The American Family claim with flood endorsement covered the full scope. We also documented the window well drainage failure in our report, which the homeowner used to get a contractor to install new window well covers and improve the grading along the west foundation — addressing the source of the intrusion before the next storm season.

“They came out in the middle of a rainstorm at night and got right to work. Very thorough — they checked the walls, not just the floor, and explained why the concrete needed more time to dry. We felt like we were in good hands.”

— B. and C. Farnsworth, Kaysville UT

For more examples of our local work, see the supply line leak we handled nearby in Kaysville and this ice dam water intrusion case in Kaysville.