Flood water from the Shenandoah and Potomac

What the federal record shows

FEMA's declarations database lists Jefferson County, West Virginia in federal declarations tied to flooding or heavy rain in 1972 (Tropical Storm Agnes), 1985, January 1996, September 1996 (Hurricane Fran and associated flooding), March 2003, September 2003 (Hurricane Isabel), 2008 and 2018. A county appearing in a declaration does not mean every part of it flooded; it means federal assistance was declared for the event there.

The pattern is familiar to anyone in Harpers Ferry, Bolivar or the low ground along the Shenandoah: the rivers rise after long rain upstream, sometimes days after the storm itself. Away from the rivers, the same storms show up as water through basement walls, overwhelmed sumps and runoff finding the low corner of a lot.

Why flood water is different

EPA's cleanup guidance singles out one case where the size of the problem stops mattering: if the water or mold damage came from sewage or other contaminated water, bring in a professional who has experience cleaning and fixing buildings damaged by contaminated water. River water that came over the floor is in that category. It carries whatever it passed through.

In practice that changes what is kept. Carpet, pad, upholstered furniture, insulation and drywall that soaked in flood water generally come out rather than being dried in place, and hard surfaces are cleaned before drying starts.

Mold after a flood is a timing problem

The 24 to 48 hour drying period that EPA describes for leaks is hard to meet after a flood: power may be out, roads closed, and every contractor in the valley called within hours of each other. Growth that starts in that gap is the reason so many flood cleanups turn into mold jobs. What helps:

• Photograph the water line and the damage before anything moves.
• Get standing water out and open the house up as soon as it is safe.
• Pull out soaked carpet and pad yourself if you can do it safely; it holds water against the floor.
• Note which walls took water and to what height. That height, plus a margin, is usually where drywall is cut.

Insurance, briefly

A standard homeowners policy does not cover flood damage. As the Texas Department of Insurance puts the general rule, mold from a flood would not be covered because home policies don't cover floods — a separate flood policy is needed. If you have one, call the flood insurer before work begins. More on insurance and mold.

Checking your own property

FEMA's Flood Map Service Center lets you look up the official flood map for an address. Whether a house sits in a mapped flood zone is worth knowing before buying, finishing a basement or deciding what to keep after a flood.

When you call, say that the water came from outside, how high it reached and how long it stood. Those three facts set the scope more than anything else.