Storm and Flood Damage Restoration in Mechanicsburg, PA: When the Creek or the Sky Gets Into the House

Storm damage comes in three kinds of water: rain that got in through the roof or a window, groundwater that rose around the foundation and creek or river water that came over the bank. Each one is cleaned differently, and each one is treated differently by insurance.

What the Conodoguinet gauge says about this area

The National Weather Service tracks the Conodoguinet Creek at a gauge near Hogestown, about 3 miles north of Mechanicsburg. Flood stage there is 8 feet. NWS lists 86 floods at that gauge since records began in 1932, in a table dated January 2020. The largest was June 1972, when the remnants of Hurricane Agnes pushed the creek to 17.01 feet.

Date	Crest	What NWS lists as the cause
June 23, 1972	17.01 ft	Hurricane Agnes
September 26, 1975	12.56 ft	Remnants of Hurricane Eloise with a cold front
February 15, 1984	12.50 ft	Two low-pressure systems with 2 to 4 inches of rain
September 19, 2004	11.35 ft	Remnants of Hurricane Ivan with a cold front
September 8, 2011	10.53 ft	Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee
July 26, 2018	10.10 ft	Listed as a moderate flood

Floods like that are rare. The more common call is a heavy storm that does not flood the creek but overwhelms a gutter, a window well or a sump pump. In the Middletown-Harrisburg daily record from 1991 to 2020, the largest single day was 7.71 inches on September 7, 2011, and about 2 days a year brought two inches or more.

Three kinds of storm water and what each one does to the cleanup

Water	Typical entry	Cleanup approach
Wind-driven rain	Roof, flashing, windows, doors, siding	Usually cleaner water. Dry wet insulation, drywall and ceilings fast. See ceiling and roof leak damage.
Groundwater	Basement walls, slab, window wells	Extract, remove wet materials, dry. See basement flooding cleanup.
Creek or river overflow	Doors, low windows, basement walls	Treated as Category 3 because it carries soil, sewage and runoff. Porous materials come out.

What to do after a storm

1. Stay safe. Do not enter a flooded basement if the water is near the panel or outlets. Do not drive or walk through floodwater.
2. Document first. Take photos and video of the damage, the water line and any damaged belongings before cleanup.
3. Shut off power at the breaker only if you can reach it dry. Otherwise call us and an electrician.
4. Protect what you can. Tarp a roof hole, board a broken window, move belongings above the water line.
5. Call your insurer. Ask what your policy covers before you throw anything out. Keep samples of damaged material if asked.
6. Call us. The faster water is out, the more material we can dry instead of remove.

Flood insurance is separate

Standard homeowners policies generally do not cover flood, and Pennsylvania's insurance commissioner has noted that coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program takes 30 days to take effect. That means it cannot be bought once a storm is on the way. Wind-driven rain through a damaged roof is often covered. Groundwater and creek overflow are often not. Sewer backup usually needs its own endorsement. Read your declarations page and call your agent.

We document every job the way adjusters expect: dated photos, moisture readings, a map of the wet areas and a written scope. Your insurer decides coverage, and a clean record helps no matter what the answer is.

Storm cleanup is also a mold problem

CDC, EPA and FEMA guidance for flooded homes is to dry everything within 24 to 48 hours if possible, and to assume mold if not. After a regional storm, contractors are busy and drying can be delayed. Call early and tell us what you see. Our mold removal page explains what happens when drying runs late, and the structural drying page explains how we confirm a wall is dry.

We serve Mechanicsburg and the nearby towns of Carlisle, Camp Hill and Shiremanstown. See also emergency water extraction and sewage backup cleanup.

Storm and flood questions