Weekend warmup has homeowners concerned about flooding and water damage

(KIFI/KIDK) Pocatello and Chubbuck might be dealing with flooding problems this weekend. Temperatures are expected to get into the 40’s before Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

This means that water could accumulate in low lying areas in the city. This has some homeowners concerned about flooding and possible water damage if the water got inside their houses.

The big question people are asking, is where do we put all the snow?

“That is the million dollar question right now, that is what everybody is fighting up against, is finding places to stack the snow. The best thing you can do is take an inventory of your property, see which way the water is going to drain and that is your best place to stack the snow,” said Tom Kirkmin, the street operations superintendent.

After homeowners figure out where to move the snow, they should make sure that snow is not up against the base of their house.

“If we get into an event where it warms up or we get rain that can melt the snow, it can go into your window wells and cause some localized flooding,” Kirmin added.

Another tip for homeowners, is to buy a special type of pump that moves the water away from your house.

“Well there are very many different kinds of pumps, probably the pump they are going to want to use is a pump they can actually put down in their window well. That can actually pump the water out,” Harbor Freight manager, Troy Eborn commented. “If the water does get inside the house, we do have pumps for that too. They can get the right pump to push the water out of the house,” he added.

Sand bags are another great way to protect your house from water damage. Some homeowners line up sand bags outside of their garage or house to prevent water from getting in.

If you are a resident in Pocatello, you can go to 1080 S 1st Ave. and fill up sand bags for free. You are asked to fill up a maximum of 8-10 bags so their is enough for others.