Quick answer
In Pasadena, rain flooding and sewage backups are both Category 3 water, so soaked carpet, pad and lower drywall come out rather than being dried in place. Pasadena is in Harris County, where Ike flooded 1,300 homes with rain on top of those hit by surge. We extract, clean, treat and dry what stays.
Rain flooding and sewer backups in a Pasadena house
Pasadena is a Harris County city, and the county's Hurricane Ike record makes a point that inland homeowners can miss. The county flood control district's Ike tally shows 2,550 homes flooded by surge and 1,300 more flooded by rain. Rain flooding happens wherever drains and ditches fill faster than they can empty.
Heavy rain also loads the sewer system. When the lines fill, sewage can push back into a house through the lowest opening, usually a ground-floor tub, shower or toilet. A cracked or root-filled line between the house and the street can cause the same backup on a dry day.
WeatherSpark lists June and September as League City's rainiest months, at about 4.6 inches each, and those storm systems cover the whole upper Gulf Coast, Pasadena included.
Six Pasadena jobs that start at floor level
Keeping sewage and rainwater out of a Pasadena house
Find your sewer cleanout cap
The sewer cleanout cap, usually in the yard near the house, lets a plumber clear a blockage from outside. Keep it uncovered and easy to find.
Ask a plumber about a backwater valve
A backwater valve closes when the sewer pushes back toward the house. A plumber can tell you whether your line can take one.
Keep grease and wipes out of the drains
Cooking grease and so-called flushable wipes build the blockages that back up when storms load the system.
Keep everyone off a sewage-soaked floor
Sewage carries bacteria. Keep children and pets out, and do not try to mop it toward other rooms.
Water in a Pasadena home right now? Call any hour.
Call (832) 737-0315Pasadena sewage and flooding questions
No. Carpet and pad soaked by sewage are removed and bagged, because the backing and pad hold contamination that no cleaning can reach. Tile, sealed concrete and some hard furniture can be cleaned and kept.
Only if the policy carries water backup coverage, which is usually an add-on. Rising floodwater is a flood policy matter. Check your declarations page or ask your agent which one applies.
Keep people out of the affected rooms until the sewage is removed and the area is cleaned. Young children, pets and anyone with a weak immune system are safer staying elsewhere until the treatment is done.
Stop using water anywhere in the house so nothing more goes down the drains, cut power to wet rooms if it is safe, and take photos. Skip the fans, which can spread contamination.
Water from a supply line starts clean, so the carpet and drywall it reaches often stay. Floodwater is Category 3 from the start, so porous materials it soaks come out. Our guide to water categories explains the difference.
