Emergency Water Extraction in Long Beach

Long Beach sheds rain to the sea through drains and pump stations that run out of room in short, heavy bursts. On January 15, 2019, the Long Beach Post reported, one storm cell dropped about three tenths of an inch in roughly an hour, filled the storm drains past capacity and pushed water up through manhole lids into Peninsula and Belmont Shore streets. Nick's on 2nd closed early, and crews spent the night watching the pump station at 68th and 69th Place. That is the pattern behind many extraction calls here: a street that cannot drain fast enough, and a building whose floor sits at the height the water rises to.

The February 2024 atmospheric river showed the same thing on the other side of town. On February 1, Fox LA reported cars submerged on the 710 under the Pacific Coast Highway overpass, business owners in the 1600 block of PCH saying the drains were not clearing the rain, and city officials blaming the trouble on the Peninsula on a malfunctioning pump. West Long Beach sits beside the lower Los Angeles River, the concrete channel that carries runoff from cities upstream to its mouth at the harbor, so storms there are as much about what drains through town as what falls on it.

Where the water came from sets the job. Rain that leaks through a roof or around a window frame starts fairly clean. Water that rose from the street, a storm drain or a manhole has crossed pavement and mixed with whatever was in the system, so we treat it as grossly contaminated from the start: protective gear for the crew, soaked contents photographed and set aside, and hard surfaces cleaned and disinfected before drying begins. In Naples and the low blocks of Belmont Shore, one storm can bring both kinds into the same house, roof water upstairs and street water at the front door, and we log each area under its own category.

A lot of Long Beach water calls come from older apartment buildings: courtyard complexes, two-story walk-ups, ground-floor units on slabs, shared laundry rooms and carports at grade. Water in one of those travels along shared walls and under flooring into the next unit, and a laundry room or water heater closet can carry it under a wall into someone's bedroom. We extract the unit that called first, then read the units on either side and the one above any ceiling stain, because the tenant next door may not know yet.

For owners and property managers, the job runs on access and notice. Tenants need to know when a crew will enter, which rooms are off limits while contaminated water is being handled, and whether the unit can be lived in while equipment runs. We schedule through the manager, keep one photo and moisture record per unit number, and note in writing which units read dry, which matters later as much as the list of units that did not.

Equipment access takes a plan. Naples is laid out around canals and small bridges with very little parking, side streets around 2nd Street fill up fast, and many apartment buildings put their only way in through a gated carport or a side walkway. Tell us on the call where the crew can park, how to get through the gate and where the electrical panel is. Pumps and extractors come in by hand, and we run hoses through a door rather than across a shared walkway where we can, so other tenants can still get past.

If water is coming up from a floor drain, a toilet or a shower during a storm, stop using water in the building, because every flush adds to it. Keep everyone out of standing water that could reach outlets or appliances, and switch those circuits off only if the panel is dry and safe to reach. Lift rugs, boxes and anything cardboard off the floor. Leave fans off in a room with street water in it. Photograph the water before anything moves, then call.

We extract, clean and disinfect what stays, set drying equipment and read the building every day until it meets a dry standard, with the readings in writing. We estimate our own scope and can bill the carrier directly for our services. Whether a storm drain backup or rising street water is covered is for the carrier, the agent or a public adjuster to answer. Our technicians hold IICRC water damage restoration certification, the crew works in English and Spanish, and the inspection is free.