I bought my house during the dry season.
With very little rain, the water table is especially low at that time of year.
The property showed no indications of any water damage, so I wasn’t worried. A home inspection revealed no concerns with flooding. Six months later, there was three feet of water in my basement. The combination of snow melt and torrential downpours created lots of problems. My entire backyard was underwater. The flooding of the basement caused a great deal of mess, expense and destruction. The dirty water ruined the rug, a couch, a television, a treadmill and my washer and dryer. The moisture led to issues with mold and mildew growth and an unpleasant musty smell. I called a licensed plumber to pump out the basement and provide a recommendation. He suggested that I install a sump pump. A sump pump works to move water from the basement to the exterior of the home. It sits inside a pit or basin carved below the surface of the basement floor. Running the sump pump effectively kept the basement nice and dry. I replaced all of the damaged furniture, electronics and appliances. A year later, when the area once again experienced storms, the power failed. Because the sump pump runs on electricity, it never started up. My basement filled with water. I was very angry and discouraged. I called a different plumber who told me that I needed to invest into a back-up sump pump that operates on battery power. I have invested a small fortune into keeping my basement dry.