Connecticut sees third wettest year on record

This year has been the third wettest year on record for Connecticut, and this month has been the third wettest December.

So far this year, nearly 65 inches of rain have fallen in the Hartford area. This month alone, eight inches of rain fell.

The influx of rain has saturated the ground, resulting in headaches for homeowners who’ve dealt with flooded homes and toppled trees on their property.

Those who are in the business of cleaning up are working overtime, with restoration and tree companies reporting phones ringing off the hook with people needing help.

“It’s always raining,” said Chris Rutkowski, owner of Tree Wise Guys in New Britain. “The ground is very saturated, there’s a lot of fallen trees, a lot of people don’t understand the weight to water ratio, I guess.”

Rutkowski said in the past two weeks, calls have increased from homeowners needing fallen trees cleaned up or removed from their homes.

“A lot of big trees don’t have a lot of big root systems, and when you put that with a lot of rainwater, especially standing water like we’re getting now because the ground is so saturated, things tend to fall,” he said.

He warns homeowners to keep an eye out for dead limbs and debris around your tree, as that likely means it’s dead or dying, and is vulnerable.

“In the summertime, if there’s no leaves on the tree, call a professional,” he said.

The damage can be costly.

“We had one customer, a tree just fell on their house, literally probably $35,000 to $40,000 worth of damage for tree that was already dying, and it’s visible,” Rutkowski said.

The record rainfall is also seeping into people’s homes. Christie Mozelak from CM Restorations and Remodeling Services in West Hartford said her crews pump out water, remove items that are saturated and put down products to prevent mold and bacteria from growing.

“The rain table has created a very high water level for homeowners, and unfortunately has gone into houses where customers haven’t had that happen before so they’re not prepared for that,” Mozelak said. “Definitely in the last couple months, we’ve had a lot of calls. I think the ground just can’t take anymore.”

She said oftentimes, flood damage isn’t covered by insurance.

“A lot of times, it is not a covered item under their insurance. If they have a sump pump, they need to have it covered under their insurance in case their sump pump fails,” she explained. “If it just comes in through their foundation, unfortunately, it’s not a covered item that they can put in through their homeowner’s [insurance].”

The repairs can cost tens of thousands of dollars, so she recommends being proactive.

“Make sure that you don’t have any issues with the sump pump,” Mozelak said. “Also, if you have any drains that [are] taking the water away from your home, have some maintenance done on that to make sure the lines are clear.”

She said everyone is vulnerable, as she’s even seen water inside her home this year.

“I’ve never had water in [my home] and it’s come through the cracks in my foundation,” she said. “Where the seams meet in your foundation, the walls to the floor, or any little cracks you might have in your foundation, the water will find that area.”