House Flood
2026-01-15
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I had planned to write more frequently in my capsule's log during 2026. I managed to write for three days in a row earlier this month, which is already unusually-frequent for me. Then, last Saturday, the drain hose popped off the back of our laundry machine, and water partially flooded our basement. To make matters worse, the room directly under the laundry room was where I had decided to store many of my electronics.
Several things worked in our favor. I usually store devices, cables and other equipment in labeled zipper bags. Those items were protected from the deluge. We were home and awake, and we were able to catch the spill in less than an hour. Some of my family volunteered to come over and bring fans, towels and dehumidifiers. We even own a shop vac, so we could clean up much of the water ourselves.
We immediately called a service to clean up water damage and dry out the floors and walls. Since then, we've had drying equipment running constantly, which was only removed this afternoon. The noise was maddening; I work from home, and the constant drone made it difficult to think, much less take meetings and coordinate tasks.
Luckily, it seems we avoided any major damage. Some of my electronics, a few of which are quite hard to replace, did get waterlogged. We are filing a claim with our home insurance company to try to get replacement value for them.
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[Last updated: 2026-01-15]