Kemper Road and high water: getting a crew to the house

What the local reports say about Kemper Road

Reports describe the road closed by high water and the Little Miami closing streets near it.

Local television and radio reports describe Kemper Road closed by high water during flood events on the Little Miami. The same reports describe the river closing streets in the low ground beside it. The years of the reports are not shown in the results this site relied on, so no date is given here.

The reports are useful for one purpose: they show that the road can be closed by water when the river is high. A homeowner should treat that as a real access risk, not a rare event, and plan for it.

How a closed road changes a crew's route

A closed road can add distance and time, and a crew may come from a different direction.

A crew is sent from the nearest free team. If a road is closed by high water, the route may be longer or the crew may have to approach from the other side of the house. The arrival time is not promised on the phone, because the route depends on what is open at that hour.

A homeowner can help by describing the access at the first call: the road that is closed, any alternative road known to be open, and whether the drive is passable.

Information to give the dispatcher

The address, the closed road, the open route and the state of the drive are the four things to give.

A dispatcher can send a crew faster when the access is clear. Give the full address and ZIP code, the road that is closed, the route that appears open and the state of the drive or the garage approach.

The list below sets out the points a dispatcher will ask about.

• The full address and the ZIP code
• Which road is closed, and by how much water
• Which route appears open from the house
• Whether the drive or the garage approach is under water
• Whether a gate, a locked gate or a fence is in the way

Planning a clear space for the crew

Clear a path to the lowest door and move vehicles that are in the water.

A crew needs a clear path to the lowest door, a place to set the equipment and a route for the wet materials to leave the house. A homeowner can help by moving vehicles out of standing water, clearing the path and keeping pets away from the equipment.

If the water is still rising, do not try to drive a vehicle through it. Move the vehicle to higher ground if it is safe to do so, and let the crew know where it is.

After the road reopens

When the road reopens the crew can return, and the scope records the dates of the closure.

Once the road reopens the crew may need to return to check the drying or to bring equipment. The scope records the dates the road was closed, so the record of the access is complete.

A homeowner who keeps a note of the closure, with the date and the photograph of the road, adds a fact to the file that an insurer may ask about.

Keeping the record of access

Note the closure, the route and the arrival time, and keep them with the scope.

A simple record of access is useful for the claim. Note the date and time the road was closed, the route the crew took and the time it arrived. Photograph the road if it is safe to do so.

This record is kept with the scope and the readings. It shows that the delay in the work came from the road and not from the crew.

Planning when the river is forecast to rise

A homeowner who knows the river is rising can prepare the access before the road closes.

A river rise usually gives some warning. The homeowner can check the local news and the road conditions before the water arrives, and can plan for an alternative route if the road is likely to close. Preparing early means the crew can be sent by the open route on the first call, which saves time.

The preparation is simple. Clear the path to the lowest door, move vehicles out of the water if it is safe, and set a note on the door with the best route to the house. The note is seen by the crew when it arrives.

• Check the local news and road conditions before the rise
• Clear the path to the lowest door if it is safe
• Move vehicles to higher ground before the water arrives
• Write the best route to the house on a note at the door
• Save the 24/7 number where it is easy to find

Arriving by an alternative route

A crew that takes an alternative route is still sent to the same address, and the record notes the route.

When the usual road is closed, the crew may arrive from a different direction. The route is not a sign of a problem with the call. It is a sign that the road is not passable, and the crew will choose the route that the road conditions allow.

The crew records the route it took and the time it arrived, and it notes any road that was closed. That record is useful to the homeowner, because it shows why the arrival took the time it did.

• The route the crew took is noted in the file
• The time of arrival is written beside the route
• Any closed road the crew passed is recorded
• The crew explains any delay on site
• The homeowner keeps the note with the scope

Safety on a flooded road and drive

Water on a road hides its edge and its depth, and a vehicle can be stranded in a few inches.

A flooded road can look shallow and be deep. Water also hides the edge of the road and any hole or debris under it. Moving water can push a vehicle sideways, and a vehicle that stalls in water can be hard to move. The rule is simple: do not drive through water on a road you do not know.

Walking near water is also a risk. A current can be stronger than it looks, and debris can trip a walker. Keep to higher ground and let the crew come to the house.

• Do not drive through water on a road you do not know
• Water can hide the road edge and the depth
• Moving water can push a vehicle off the road
• Keep to higher ground when walking near water
• Let the crew reach the house by the open route

Talking to neighbours on a low street

Neighbours on the same low street share the same access problem, and a shared plan saves time.

When a street floods, the houses on it face the same access problem. A homeowner who talks to the neighbours can share the open route, the closed road and the time the water is expected to fall. Shared information is quicker than separate searches, and it helps the dispatcher with the next call from the same street.

A neighbour who has a clear route can also help a homeowner who does not, for example by moving a vehicle or by holding a gate open for the crew.

• Share the open route with the neighbours on the street
• Share the time the water is expected to fall
• Tell the dispatcher about other calls from the same street
• Offer to move a neighbour's vehicle if it is safe
• Hold a gate open for the crew where it is practical

What the crew needs at the door

The crew needs the key or the code, the panel location and a place to set the equipment.

When the crew reaches the door, it needs access to the lowest room, the panel and the main shut-off. A homeowner who has the key, the gate code or the panel location ready saves minutes that matter. A clear space for the equipment near the door keeps the wet materials from crossing the clean floor.

The crew will say where it can set the equipment. Following that direction keeps the path clear for the trucks and the wet materials.

• Have the key or gate code ready at the door
• Know the panel and main shut-off locations
• Clear a space for equipment near the door
• Keep the clean floor separate from wet materials
• Follow the crew's direction on where to set equipment