Water Damage Help for Nacogdoches, Texas Homes and Rentals

The center of Nacogdoches was laid out just north of the fork where LaNana and Banita creeks meet, and the town has been settled since its modern founding in 1779. That long history shows in the building stock: older houses near the historic downtown, college rentals around Stephen F. Austin State University, and newer homes on the edges of town. All of them face the same climate, about 50 inches of rain a year and the occasional Gulf hurricane pushing inland.

The Restoration Job does not perform restoration. It is a no-cost line that links you with independent providers. Call (888) 317-9980 any time and we'll connect you with a provider serving Nacogdoches and the surrounding county. Providers in the area commonly handle storm and roof-leak damage, water removal, drying, sewage backups and mold, and many offer emergency service.

Living Near LaNana and Banita Creeks

Both creeks wind through town before joining south of downtown, and in heavy downpours they and their smaller tributaries collect runoff from streets and roofs quickly. Homes and businesses on low ground near the channels, or at the bottom of a sloping lot, are the ones most likely to see water reach a foundation or garage. The county also includes the Angelina River and Attoyac Bayou, and Lake Nacogdoches lies about 10 miles west of the city.

Water that comes in from outside is treated differently from a burst pipe, both by insurers and in the cleanup. Standard homeowners policies typically exclude surface flooding, so a separate flood policy is the protection for that risk. Creek and runoff water also carries soil, bacteria and debris, which means soaked carpet, pad and lower drywall usually have to go. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center shows the official flood zone for any address.

Hurricanes and Tornadoes in Texas Forest Country

Hurricanes Rita in 2005 and Ike in 2008 both affected Nacogdoches. The National Weather Service office in Shreveport reported widespread tree and power line damage across Nacogdoches County during Rita, and listed the county among those with the most severe damage from Ike, when some areas went nearly a week without utilities. The city's worst storm on record came much earlier: an F4 tornado on January 4, 1946 killed ten people and injured 200.

In a heavily wooded county, storm damage usually means trees on roofs, punctured decking and rain pouring into attics. Getting the opening covered matters more than anything else in the first hours. After that, wet insulation, ceiling drywall and flooring need to be assessed with a moisture meter so drying can start before mold does. See how storm damage cleanup usually proceeds.

Historic Houses, Student Rentals and Who Calls Whom

With roughly 13,000 students at SFA, a large share of Nacogdoches housing is rented. In a rental, the tenant should stop the water if possible, notify the landlord or property manager right away and document their own belongings with photos. Repairs to the building are generally the owner's responsibility, while renters insurance, if the tenant has it, covers personal property. Duplexes and apartments add another wrinkle, because a leak in one unit often travels into the one below or beside it.

In older homes near downtown, original plaster walls, wood floors and pier-and-beam foundations call for a careful approach. Plaster can often be dried rather than demolished, and wood floors may be saved if drying starts quickly. Water under a raised floor, though, can sit unseen in the crawlspace, so someone should look underneath.

Sorting Out a Leak, Backup or Storm Loss

• Turn off the water at the main or the fixture valve, and shut off power to wet rooms.
• If sewage or a drain backup is involved, keep children and pets out and avoid touching it. That calls for sewage cleanup with disinfection.
• Photograph damage, the source and affected belongings before anything is thrown out.
• Remove standing water quickly and move furniture off wet floors.
• Ask for moisture readings in walls and floors and a written drying plan.
• Sign up for NacWise Alert, the city's notification system for hurricanes and other emergencies.

Humidity, Old Walls and Mold Risk

Nacogdoches stays warm and humid for much of the year, and that slows natural drying. Damp materials such as drywall, carpet pad and the undersides of cabinets can show mold growth within days. Older houses with crawlspaces may already run humid underneath, so a leak there adds to an existing problem. Look and smell for trouble along the bottoms of walls, inside closets on exterior walls and in the crawlspace. Larger growth or mold on porous materials is usually removed under containment, and the work is finished only once the structure is confirmed dry.