OHIO — The warmer weather has melted the snow across Ohio, but the dramatic temperature rise after the freezing cold weather earlier this week might cause flooded basements. 

What You Need To Know

  • Melting snow could cause water leaks in basements 

  • It's recommended to check your sump pump 

  • You should also move any remaining snow away from your house 

Randy Cutlip, president of B-Dry Cleveland, a basement waterproofing company, has suggestions on how to prevent leaks.

“Try to pull some of that snow away from the foundation,” Cutlip said.

He recommends checking your sump pump and ensuring that it’s still working properly.

“Run water in it. Make sure it’s lubricated, make sure it’s pumping out, so that’s about all you can do,” he added.

Cutlip said that he and his team expect to be busy over the next few days, given the rather quick warmup in the weather.

“This weekend is going to be rain and the snow melting and all that, so I’m sure the phone will be ringing,” he said. 

Cutlip explained that this may be the first time in several months that many residents are having this problem.

“I’ll tell you the truth: We have a lot of houses that don’t leak until the wintertime. They’ll go all summer long with those torrential downpours or the early spring rains, never have an issue. But when winter comes and all the snow melts, that’s the only time they have an issue,” he said.

Cutlip advises that homeowners begin taking steps to prevent basement leaks as early as the fall.