Flood management in Indiana

[videoeng1]

Hello to all and many thanks in advance for advice & answers. A recent storm has led yet again to a flood of my home and I hope to get some thoughts on resolving this. First some info: *1500^2 ft ranch on footers (no slab) *sits at S. low point of 3 acres *1/4" per ft grade uphill to N & E *1/4" per ft grade downhill to S & W *paved road 60' S. 2' above grade(no sewers/drains only ditch) *ditch feeds to a stream 1000' W., stream feeds a lake 15,000' S. *soil is silt/clay with a semi-defined clay layer at 3' below grade. The Problem: the water table was at -3 ft prior to storm, storm produced 4" water, I have 12" standing water around house! water is backed up all the way from ditch to stream, stream is high but has not jumped its banks. Questions: Can this be resolved at all? If not, what can I do on my property to speed the drainage? How much responsibility does the county bear in all this? This has been a worsening problem over 8 years (used to just have puddles) It seems to have been aggravated by new subdivisions but I’m not sure. A retention pond? French drains? Improve percolation? Pipe it to the desert?? I've included a link to a picture. Please share your expertise while I inflate my life-raft…

http://files.engineering.com/getfil...d-904d-437b-b2b6-0e9d3b68cced&file=flood1.JPG

 

[RWF7437]

Probably, your best course of action would be to contact one or more Civil Engineers in your area. They will have access to maps, public record documents, weather data, public agencies like the County, local knowledge, land surveys, geologic data, flood plain data, maintenance data and many other details needed to investigate the cause of flooding.

Answers you get here can only be general, lacking such data.

good luck

 

[civilperson]

Jack up the house 5-6' and grade to slope away from the elevated floor.

 

[RWF7437]

"Jack up the house 5-6' and grade to slope away from the elevated floor. "

Which could INCREASE the probability of flooding your neigbhor's property. Then you can call a local engineer AND several attorneys.

 

[TerryScan]

When videoeng1 mentions the receiving stream is within its banks, I am led to believe either:
1. The ditch to the stream does not have adequate capacity.
2. Culverts along the ditch do not have adequate capacity.
3. There are obstructions in the ditch and/or culverts.

#3 is most typical and probably the easier to resolve of these problems.

The ditch may also have filled with sediment and need to be regraded to its original design. (in roadside ditches it is common for sediment to build up to where it fills culverts completely).