Tropical Storm Debby in Rock Hill, SC: Creek Water, Yards and Crawl Spaces

What Debby brought to the Rock Hill area

The rain

Debby produced record rain for York County. Readings differed from station to station, as they do in a tropical downpour.

• A reporting station south of Rock Hill: 7.5 inches
• A station near Lake Wylie: about 6 inches
• The Rock Hill-York County Airport: just over 4 inches
• Lake Wylie: about 2 feet above its normal target level

What the reports described

National Weather Service reports from the day named specific places where water left its channel. They describe places, not whole districts, which fits how creek flooding works: low ground beside a channel takes water first.

• King Drive: creek water covering the road and overflowing a playground at College Downs Park
• Skyline Road and Highway 324, southwest of Rock Hill: flooded yards and driveways, with water appearing to be in crawl spaces
• Rambo Road, southwest of Rock Hill: water flowing over the road onto a house, likely from Stony Fork Creek
• Ogden Road, southwest of Rock Hill: about a foot of water flowing over the road from Fishing Creek

How creek water ends up under a house

Creek water that leaves its banks spreads across low yards and driveways. A crawl space has vents and seams, and water that stands against the foundation finds them.

The reports from Skyline Road and Highway 324 noted water that appeared to be in crawl spaces, which is the pattern to look for after any creek flood. Cleanup of that kind of loss is storm and flash flood cleanup in Rock Hill.

• Standing water or mud at the crawl space access door
• Insulation that has fallen or soaked through
• A vapor barrier that floats or has torn
• Water marks on the foundation or in the garage
• A musty smell in the rooms above the crawl space

Why creek water is handled as Category 3

Flood water picks up soil and whatever else lies in its path, which can include fuel, animal waste and sewage. Restoration crews treat it as Category 3, the most contaminated category, from the first inspection.

What comes out

• Carpet, pad, insulation and low drywall the water touched
• Particleboard and other porous materials that soaked it up

What is cleaned and treated

• Concrete, tile, metal and sealed wood
• Framing and the edge of the subfloor, which are cleaned and then dried

First steps after the water drops

Water that has left a yard has not necessarily left the crawl space. The steps below keep people safe and keep the record clean.

• Stay out of moving water and out of a flooded crawl space until power to it is off.
• Photograph high-water marks, the access door, the insulation and every wet room.
• Note the date and the likely source: the creek, runoff from the yard or a pipe.
• Keep children and pets away from mud and standing water.
• Do not run fans or a household vacuum through wet areas.

Pumping, removal and drying

Once the area is safe, the crew pumps first and dries second. Getting the standing water out first protects the rooms above from picking up moisture.

Pump out the crawl space

A crawl space water removal crew pumps standing water and removes soaked insulation and torn or flooded vapor barrier. Mud and debris that washed in are cleaned out so the soil and framing can dry.

Dry the floor system

A dehumidifier and air movers dry the joists and subfloor, and daily moisture readings decide when the equipment can leave. Water extraction on the floors above runs alongside, because a wet crawl space keeps feeding moisture upward until it is dry.

Mud, silt and equipment under the house

Creek water leaves silt behind. Dried silt turns to dust that carries whatever the water carried, so it is cleaned out while it is still damp.

• Silt and debris on the soil and the vapor barrier
• Ductwork, a water heater or wiring, if any run through the crawl space: a technician checks them before they are used again
• Items stored near the floor: photographed, then sorted into keep, clean or discard
• Garage and shed floors where water pooled

Records, coverage and the next storm

Records for the claim

A dated record helps whatever the policy says. Many homeowner policies treat flood differently from other water damage, so the wording decides what applies.

• Photos and video taken before anything is moved
• The date, the source of the water and the weather reports for that day
• The restoration team's removal list and daily moisture readings
• A call to the insurer to ask which steps and records it needs

Before the next tropical system

A short walk-through now makes the next cleanup faster. The Rock Hill water damage restoration pages list the services that apply.

• Know where the main water valve, the electrical panel and the crawl space access door are.
• Photograph the house and the crawl space while dry, so a later claim has a before picture.
• Keep valuables and papers off floors and out of the crawl space.
• Clear gutters and extend downspouts.