Flood Cleanup and Water Damage Help in Selma, AL

Selma grew up on the Alabama River, in the heart of the Black Belt, and the river has set the terms ever since. The city sits only about 118 feet above sea level, Valley Creek bounds it on the west, and the Selmont and West Selmont communities lie across the river to the south. Selma also has the largest contiguous historic district in Alabama, with more than 1,250 contributing structures, many of them wood-framed homes well over a century old.

Those two facts, a big river and an old building stock, explain most of the water damage calls here. Call (888) 317-9980, any hour, and The Restoration Job will connect you at no cost with an independent restoration provider that serves Dallas County. We are a referral line; the provider does the assessment and the work.

Reading the Alabama River Gauge at Selma

The National Weather Service tracks the river at Selma, where flood stage is 45 feet. At 48 feet, water pushes inland in Selmont to between Johnson Street and Old Montgomery Road, and parts of Bloch Park and the Selma Country Club begin to flood. At 52 feet, the major-flood threshold, large portions of Selmont, West Selmont and East Selma are under water. The record crest is 57.97 feet on March 1, 1961, followed by 57 feet in April 1986 and 56.8 feet in March 1990.

Big crests here tend to come in late winter and early spring, usually after prolonged rain upstream rather than a single local storm. That gives some warning. When forecasts call for a crest above moderate stage, move valuables, documents and electronics upstairs or off site, photograph each room, and know your evacuation route before roads close.

After the River Goes Down

River floodwater carries silt, fuel, sewage and farm runoff, so anything it soaks is treated as contaminated. A thorough flood cleanup usually follows a set order:

• Pumping out remaining water and shoveling out mud.
• Removing wet carpet, pad, insulation and drywall to at least a foot or two above the waterline.
• Cleaning and disinfecting framing, slabs and subfloors.
• Drying with dehumidifiers and air movers until moisture readings return to normal.
• Only then, rebuilding.

Don't switch on electrical circuits or gas appliances that were submerged until they have been checked. Standard homeowners insurance does not pay for rising river water; that requires a flood policy, which normally has a waiting period before it takes effect.

The January 12, 2023 Tornado Through Town

Shortly after noon on January 12, 2023, an EF-2 tornado with winds around 130 mph cut a path more than 23 miles long and up to 950 yards wide through Dallas County, crossing densely populated parts of Selma. The National Weather Service survey describes roofs torn off homes and businesses, a strip mall that lost much of its roof, heavy damage to the county jail and massive hardwoods knocked down at the country club. At a daycare on West Dallas Avenue, more than 70 children and staff sheltered in interior rooms and bathrooms and came through unhurt.

In the weeks after a storm like that, rain falling into damaged buildings becomes the main problem. Tarps blow loose, ceilings sag and wet insulation stays wet. If your home took wind damage, check under tarps after every rain and have ceilings and walls tested for hidden moisture before they are closed up.

Old Houses, Plaster Walls and Pier Foundations

Older houses of the kind found throughout Selma's historic district commonly have solid wood floors, plaster walls and raised pier or crawl space foundations. These materials respond to water differently than modern drywall on a slab. Solid wood and plaster can often be dried and saved if the work starts quickly and is monitored closely, while hasty demolition can destroy features that are hard to replace.

Crawl spaces under older homes can hold standing water for weeks after a flood or heavy rain, raising humidity in the floor system. Getting that water out and the soil covered helps the whole house. A careful water damage restoration plan for an older home should spell out what will be dried in place, what has to be removed and why.

Humidity and Mold in the Black Belt

Selma averages about 54.5 inches of rain a year and long, humid summers. With roughly 15 percent of the city's housing units vacant, a slow leak in an empty or seldom-used house can go unnoticed for months, and mold often gets established before anyone sees the water. Owners of rental or inherited properties should arrange regular checks, especially after storms.

Small patches of mold on hard surfaces can be cleaned, but growth across drywall, insulation or subfloor needs removal under containment so spores aren't spread through the house. Fix the moisture source first, or the problem returns.