Lakeside is a compact inner suburb on Richmond's northern edge, about 4.4 square miles of Henrico County holding some 12,200 residents and roughly 5,750 homes. Its most recognizable landmark, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden at 1800 Lakeside Avenue, grew out of the Lakeside Wheel Club, a cycling club Lewis Ginter set up after buying the land in 1884. The area was first counted as its own community in the 1970 census, and today it holds about 2,800 people per square mile, close to the city line.
For help with a wet house, The Restoration Job offers a free connection to independent restoration providers. Call (888) 317-9980 around the clock and we will link you with a third-party company that serves Lakeside and north Henrico.
How the call works: when you call (888) 317-9980, The Restoration Job connects you with an independent restoration provider that serves Lakeside. That provider inspects the damage, explains the scope and quotes the work. The Restoration Job doesn't perform restoration itself. Read our referral disclosure.
Dense Streets and Where the Runoff Goes
Lakeside has almost no open water of its own, only about 0.08 square miles, so its flood risk is less about a river leaving its banks and more about rain with nowhere to go. In a built-out inner suburb, roofs, driveways and streets shed water quickly, and low points in a block collect it. During the remnants of Hurricane Gaston in August 2004, when 12.60 inches fell on Richmond's West End in about eight hours, the region's drainage system simply could not carry the volume. A smaller version of that happens in a summer thunderstorm: water pools against a foundation, runs down basement stairwells or backs up through floor drains.
Henrico notes that many of the roughly 1,500 structures in its floodplains deal with drainage problems, and the county has mapped floodplains of its own beyond FEMA's since 2007.
Basement Water and Sewer Backups
Water that enters a basement from outside, or comes up through a floor drain, is not the same as a clean leak from a supply line. Storm runoff and drain backups can carry sewage and street contaminants. That changes the cleanup:
- Carpet, pad and soaked drywall are generally removed rather than dried.
- Hard surfaces are cleaned and disinfected before drying begins.
- Anyone handling the water should wear gloves and boots, and children and pets should stay out.
- A backflow valve on the sewer line can help prevent a repeat; ask a plumber whether one fits your house.
A provider experienced in sewage cleanup will handle contaminated water this way. For a clean-water leak, extraction and drying are often enough.
Storm Season, Trees and Power Loss
Tropical systems reach Lakeside as wind and rain. Hurricane Isabel in September 2003 sent gusts to 73 mph at Richmond International Airport, toppled trees onto homes across the region and left about 365,000 customers in the Richmond area without power. In Henrico, a driver drowned after going into a flooded creek. Long outages matter for water damage: sump pumps stop, and a basement that normally stays dry can take on water when the power is out during heavy rain. A battery backup or a generator plan for the sump is worth considering if your house depends on one.
Keeping Mold Out of Lakeside Basements
Basements and lower levels are where moisture lingers longest, and Central Virginia's humid summers keep them damp. After any water event, the drying target is to get walls, floors and stored belongings back to normal moisture within a day or two. Cardboard boxes, paneling, carpet and the paper face of drywall are the first materials to grow mold. A dehumidifier running in the basement through summer helps, and so does moving storage off the floor onto shelving. If growth has already appeared, a provider offering mold remediation can isolate the area and remove it properly instead of just painting over it.
Flood Coverage for a Henrico Inner Suburb
Homeowner and renter policies typically exclude flooding, including surface runoff that enters at ground level. Because Henrico is in the National Flood Insurance Program, Lakeside residents can buy a flood policy whether or not they are inside a mapped zone, and Henrico's Class 5 Community Rating System status has cut NFIP premiums for county residents by 25 percent since October 1, 2024. FEMA's current maps for Henrico took effect April 25, 2024. Look up your address before assuming either way, and ask your agent separately about sewer backup coverage, which is usually a homeowner's policy endorsement rather than part of flood insurance.
Where Callers in the Lakeside Area Are
The same line also serves nearby communities such as:
- Laurel
- Glen Allen
- Chamberlayne
- Tuckahoe
- Richmond
Questions From Lakeside Property Owners
Water came up through my basement floor drain in a storm. Is that clean water?
No. Water that backs up through a floor drain may contain sewage or street runoff, so it should be treated as contaminated. Keep people and pets away, avoid touching it without gloves and boots, and plan on removing soaked porous materials. When you call (888) 317-9980, mention the drain so you can be connected with a provider that handles contaminated water.
Lakeside is not near a river. Do I need flood insurance?
Not being near a river does not rule out flooding. In a dense suburb, intense rain can overwhelm drains and push runoff into basements and lower levels, which homeowner policies usually exclude. Henrico residents can buy NFIP flood coverage anywhere in the county, and the county's Community Rating System status provides a 25 percent premium discount.
What should I do if the power goes out during heavy rain?
If your basement depends on a sump pump, an outage during heavy rain is when water gets in. Move valuables off the basement floor, check the pit if it is safe to do so, and use a battery backup or generator if you have one. If water does enter, photograph it and start drying as soon as power returns.