Some areas of London are still under water Thursday morning following significant flooding in the city Wednesday.
Officials say it is still too soon to tell exactly how much damage was caused from the flooding. Restoration company Winmar has had a deluge of calls for help Wednesday.
General manager Chris Craigan tells 980 CFPL that preparation is important, and people should make sure their sump pumps are working properly before bad weather hits.
“When you first hear that weather like this could be coming, the first thing people should do is access their basement, see what’s down there on the ground that could be damaged, and try to get that clutter off the floor, especially sentimental items.”
He says the majority of claims they’ve been receiving have been sump pump failures.
“When the sump pump fails, all that groundwater that’s pushing against your foundation fills up the sump pit and starts to overflow and flood your basement,” said Craigan, who adds that sometimes the damage can be irreversible.”
“We can clean, we can restore, but sometimes we can reverse the damage to some items that you can’t replace, which are usually the most important to people.”
Craigan says people often don’t realize how much property they keep in their basements or its financial and sentimental value.
Officials say the Thames River reached its peak on Wednesday, but water levels are expected to remain high for the next couple days. They’re expected to return to more normal levels by Saturday or Sunday.