ROCKLAND, Mass. — For many New England homeowners, rain can be way more than just a headache. This latest round of wet weather is bringing fresh anxiety and keeping plumbing companies busy, especially after flooding during last month’s blizzard.
Boston 25 crews tagged along with Roto Rooter in Rockland on Monday for one of several home visits due to a failed sump pump.
“People weren’t dug out, we couldn’t get in, but once people were getting back out, yes definitely,” said Barrows.
Homeowner Teresa Rife tells Boston 25 she had to sleep in the basement due to flooding, now she’s got quite the bill for this repair.
“We had six feet of snow piled up because of cleaning our walkways, our parking lot is rather large, and they shoved all the snow over towards the house,” she said.
“So all of that had to melt and then we had these huge snow drifts in the back, some of them were five and six feet deep so yeah a lot of snow to melt and it melted very quickly all over those warm days and this is the result,” said Rife.
Now is the time for homeowners to test their sump pumps.
Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind before bad weather:
- Test your sump pump before heavy rain. Pouring a bucket of water into the sump pit makes sure the pump activates and drains properly.
- Other tips like clearing outdoor drains and checking the sump pump’s discharge pipe also goes a long way.
More rain is expected into Tuesday. A quick reminder that a working sump pump can make all the difference and could save owners thousands of dollars in flood damage.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW