A standard sump pump runs on household electricity, so it stops the moment the power goes out. If rain is still falling, the pit fills and water spreads across the basement or crawl space floor. A battery backup pump or a properly connected generator keeps water moving until the lights come back on.

That is a real concern on the west side of the Tacoma Narrows. Gig Harbor and the Key Peninsula are heavily wooded, and the storms that bring down limbs are the same storms that bring the rain. Your pump is needed most during the exact hours it is most likely to lose power.

The Key Peninsula adds distance to the problem. It is a rural stretch of unincorporated Pierce County with water on both sides, and a home at the end of a long, tree-lined road can wait a while for a crew to reach the line that serves it.

Why do sump pumps fail during a windstorm?

Because the pump and the storm depend on opposite things. The pump needs steady electricity. The storm takes it away. A pump that has worked every winter for years will sit silent in a full pit if nothing is feeding it power.

Outages are one cause among several. Storm season also exposes pumps that were already close to failing:

• A float switch that sticks against the side of the pit and never turns the pump on.
• A discharge line that is clogged with debris or blocked where it empties outside.
• A pump that is too small for the amount of water arriving in a heavy, long rain.
• A tripped outlet or breaker that nobody noticed because the pump had not been needed since spring.

Any one of these leaves you with the same result as an outage: rising water and a quiet pump.

Why are outages so common in Gig Harbor and on the Key Peninsula?

Trees and a limited number of ways in. Peninsula Light Company, the member-owned electric cooperative for this area, receives its power over transmission lines from Tacoma Power. When a tree falls across one of those lines, a large share of the area can lose power at once, and falling trees also take down the smaller lines along neighborhood roads.

The climate sets it up every year. Gig Harbor has a marine west coast climate, with dry summers and cool, wet winters. By late October the ground is taking on water, tree roots have less to hold on to, and Pacific storms bring wind and rain together.

Geography matters as well. Gig Harbor sits along State Route 16 just across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, and the Key Peninsula lies to the west, between two inlets of Puget Sound. Homes on sloped, wooded lots tend to collect water in crawl spaces and daylight basements as it runs downhill toward the shoreline.

How can you keep a sump pump running when the power is out?

You have three main options, and they can be combined.

• Battery backup pump. A second pump sits in the same pit and runs on a dedicated battery when the main pump loses power. It switches on by itself, which matters if the outage starts while you are asleep or away. Batteries have a limited run time, so check the charge and the age of the battery each fall.
• Portable generator. A generator can run the main pump for as long as you have fuel. Always run it outdoors, well away from doors, windows and vents, and never in a garage. Use a heavy outdoor-rated cord, or have an electrician install a transfer switch.
• Standby generator. A permanently installed unit starts automatically and can power the pump along with other household circuits. It is the largest project of the three and needs a professional installation.

Whichever you choose, add a water alarm near the pit. A simple battery-powered alarm that sounds when water touches it gives you warning while there is still time to act.

How do you test a sump pump before storm season?

Pour water into the pit and watch. Slowly add a few gallons from a bucket until the float rises. The pump should switch on, move the water out, and shut off by itself. Go outside and confirm water is coming out of the discharge line and draining away from the foundation.

While you are there, check that the pump is plugged in and standing upright, that the float moves freely, and that the pit is free of gravel and debris. If you have a battery backup, unplug the main pump and repeat the test so you know the backup takes over.

Do this in October, and again after any long outage.

What should you do in the first hours if water is coming in?

Work through these steps in order.

1. Stay out of standing water where electricity may be present. If water has reached outlets, cords or appliances, do not step into it. If you can reach your electrical panel without crossing a wet floor, turn off the breakers for that area.
2. Keep away from downed lines outside. Treat every line on the ground as live, stay well back, and report it to Peninsula Light Company or call 911.
3. Set up the generator outdoors. If you have one, place it outside and away from openings before you start it, then connect the sump pump.
4. Move belongings up and out. Lift boxes, furniture and rugs off the floor or carry them to a dry level. Cardboard and fabric soak up water quickly.
5. Take photos and video. Record the water level, the pump, and anything that got wet before you start cleaning up.
6. Remove what water you safely can. A bucket, a mop or a wet vacuum running on generator power will slow the spread across a finished floor.
7. Call your insurance company. Report what happened and ask what they need. Coverage for sump pump failure and groundwater varies, so check your policy. Your insurer decides what your policy covers.
8. Call a restoration company. Drying equipment needs to go in soon, so tell them whether your power is still out.

What happens to a basement or crawl space that stays wet?

The water moves into the building materials. Drywall and baseboards draw it upward, carpet pad holds it against the subfloor, and wood framing swells. In a crawl space, insulation between the floor joists gets heavy and sags, and the wood above it stays damp long after the standing water is gone.

The EPA says to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth. Once it starts, mold shows up as spotting, staining and a musty odor, and it spreads across materials that stay damp. That is the practical reason drying should not wait for the weekend.

Crawl spaces deserve a specific look. Because nobody goes down there often, water from a failed pump can sit for days before anyone notices. After any long outage, open the hatch and look with a flashlight.

How does a restoration crew dry things out?

In stages, with measurements at each one. The usual sequence looks like this:

1. Inspect and take moisture readings in floors, walls and framing to map how far the water went.
2. Extract standing water with pumps and vacuums.
3. Remove materials that cannot be dried in place, such as soaked carpet pad or wet crawl space insulation.
4. Set air movers and dehumidifiers to pull moisture out of the structure.
5. Recheck moisture readings over the following days and adjust the equipment until the materials are dry.

The source of the water affects what can be saved. Groundwater that comes up through a sump pit has been in contact with soil, so some porous materials it soaks are removed instead of dried. Your crew will explain which items fall into that group and why.

Should you replace the pump after it floods?

Not always, but find out why it stopped. If the cause was the outage and the pump runs normally once power returns, the pump may be fine and the missing piece is backup power. If the float stuck, the motor hummed without moving water, or the pump is old enough that you cannot remember installing it, replacement is the safer choice before the next storm.

If a power outage has left water in your basement or crawl space in Gig Harbor or on the Key Peninsula, contact ServiceMaster of Tacoma for water removal and drying.