While water levels in the Thames River have slowly started to recede, the basement cleanup at hundreds of London homes is just starting to ramp up.
Much of southwestern Ontario started the week by receiving a month's worth of rain. That combined with double-digit, snow melting temperatures to cause the worst flooding in the city in 40 years.
Hundreds of homes, particularly in the Wharncliffe Rd. and Riverside Dr. area took on a torrent of water after the Thames River swelled its banks on Tuesday. Property restoration companies quickly saw a surge of calls about flooded basements after that.
Adam Scherba, the general manager of BELFOR Property Restoration in London, said his team of 85 employees have been working around the clock for the past four days.
"Everyone is pretty tired," said Scherba. "Monday night we started to get a few calls rolling in and then the bulk of the calls came in on Tuesday and Wednesday. It slowed down a bit Thursday but the calls are still coming in."
Homeowners who have yet to deal with flooding in their basement need to use extreme caution before venturing into the water.
"If the water gets above 16 inches, then it is going to get into your electrical outlets. Then it is going to cause electrical shortages and currents through the water. So you want to make sure it is not above that and if it is you need to turn the electrical off," said Scherba. "After you've deemed it safe to enter the basement, you want to get your contents and valuables up off the floor as quickly as possible, save anything that is salvageable and then find the source - where the water is coming from."
Scherba notes the biggest concern for homeowners with affected basements is making sure water is properly removed.
"Any basement that gets wet, homeowners should be calling for help from a trained professional. If they don't treat it properly, if they don't tear out and dry out all the damaged materials then they are at risk for secondary damage, which is mould," said Scherba. "Mould is the biggest concern of any homeowner with flooding. So you have to make sure the structure is dried properly.
Mould can start to develop as quickly as 48 to 72 hours after flooding.
As a way to prevent basement flooding, homeowners are advised to make sure sump pumps are both working and in good condition, and that a battery backup unit has been installed.
The Thames peaked around noon on Wednesday but water levels are expected to remain high into the weekend, according to the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority. Until more normal levels return, Londoners are asked to stay away from natural bodies of water and stormwater ponds.