Help! major water main break!!

[Rhonda Jones]

I had a major water main break - totally flooded the basement in my duplex! I reported it right away to my insurance company, but a claims adjuster couldn't come out today. The Philadelphia Water Department came out and turned the water off, and the Fire Department did get about 3 feet of water removed. My partner is there now, and both water tanks are ruined. Water department is still there trying to restore water service to the block. I feel powerless - what else can I do??

[Erik Hitzelberger]

The reality is there isn't a whole lot that can be done at 10p. In order to minimize the damage, you want to stop more water from coming into the house (sounds like this is done) and get any remaining water out. If the fire department pumped the basement out, you can rent fans from Home Depot to help dry the floor. If you have carpet in the basement, you will want to pull that back and most likely remove the pad to aid the drying process. In my area, there are companies who will do all of this for you. Of course, if the basement was finished and had 3' of water in it, it's ruined.

It's a lousy thing to have happened, but it really sounds like you've done what you can. Your insurance company will hopefully cover the cost of the repairs.

The best thing to do tonight is to have a drink or 2 or 8 and go to bed.