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Faribault, Minnesota

Wet basement in Faribault? Start here.

Free service. Call now and we'll connect you with a local restoration company. How it works

  1. 1Shut off the water supply
  2. 2Stay off a wet floor
  3. 3Photograph it all
  4. 4Call a local company
Call (507) 333-9838

Every fact on this page links to its source. Last reviewed October 24, 2026.National Weather Service Triple-I CDC EPA Red Cross FEMA. See all 7 sources

A restoration technician kneels by a sump pit in an old stone-walled basement and checks the damp wall with a moisture meter, snow against the window.

How this works

What happens when you call

It is free to call, and calling commits you to nothing.

  1. A man in a flannel shirt stands at the top of the basement stairs on the phone, looking down at water on the basement floor.
    1

    You call

    Tell them what happened and where. Have the address ready.

  2. 2

    We connect you

    A call network puts you through to an independent local restoration company that serves Faribault and is taking calls.

  3. A technician crouches by a sump pit and points to the pump while the homeowner listens, stone foundation walls behind them.
    3

    They assess and quote

    If you want a visit, they look at the damage and quote their own price. Ask for it in writing.

We are a free referral service, not a contractor. The company that answers sets its own prices. How this service works

Faribault's own numbers

The Straight River's six highest crests

Feet on the National Weather Service gauge near Faribault. Of the ten highest on its list, six came between February and May, the snowmelt and spring-rain months; the record came in September 2010 (our count).1

  • September 24, 201014.88 ft
    The record, at 12,200 cubic feet per second.1
  • April 11, 200112.88 ft
  • March 25, 198912.83 ft
  • June 23, 202412.77 ft
    Marked preliminary on the gauge's list.1
  • May 5, 197412.74 ft
  • March 8, 197312.68 ft
National Weather Service, Straight River near Faribault (FRBM5), historic crests. The gauge has no official flood categories.1 The river page

The first hour

Six steps, top to bottom. Stop if one isn't safe.

  1. 01
    Before anything else

    Shut off the water supply

    If a pipe or hose let go, close the main valve.2

  2. 02
    Before the stairs

    Don't step into a wet basement with the power on

    Turn power off only from a dry spot; if not, an electrician should.3

  3. 03
    First, before cleanup

    Photograph it all

    Pictures or video of the water line and everything it touched.4

  4. 04
    Today

    Report it

    Call your agent or company now; ask your deadline.4

  5. 05
    Next 48 hours

    Get it drying

    Air moving outward, a dehumidifier running. Dry inside 24 to 48 hours.3,5

  6. 06
    If it came up a drain

    Sewage is not a DIY job

    Backed-up sewage or river water needs a professional.5,3

Every step in full

Where water gets in

Five ways water reaches a Faribault basement

An old house at the end of winter. Each letter matches a note.

Cross-section of an old two-storey Faribault house with a stone-walled basement on a late-winter evening: a river in its channel beside the lot with its record level dashed above, snow on the roof and an ice dam at the eave, a kitchen pipe in the cold outside wall, a sump pit with its pump, a floor drain on the sewer line with a backwater valve before the street, and the water service entering the basement to the main valve. ABCDE
  1. AMain shut-off. Know where it is; closing it fast saves money and time.2
  2. BBackwater valve. Lets sewage out of the house but not back in.2
  3. CPipes in outside walls. Exterior-wall and kitchen-cabinet pipes are the ones that freeze.6
  4. DIce dam. Ice-dam damage is covered by homeowners insurance.2
  5. EThe Straight River. Record crest near Faribault: 14.88 feet, September 24, 2010.1

Guides for Faribault homes

Pick the one that matches

Questions

What Faribault homeowners ask

Who answers when I call?

An independent restoration company that serves Faribault, reached through our call-tracking line. We are not that company. We do not take calls, set prices, or control how soon anyone can come.

Do I pay anything to call?

No. The company that answers charges its own prices for any work, so ask for a written estimate before saying yes.

Water came up through the basement floor drain. Is that covered?

Often not unless you bought it. Triple-I says some policies cover sewer and drain backups but many do not, and you can add a sewer backup rider. A backwater valve lets sewage leave but not come back in.2

The river came into the yard and the basement. Does homeowners insurance pay?

Usually not. Triple-I says water that rises from the bottom up, like an overflowing river, is covered by a separate flood insurance policy.2 A new flood policy generally takes 30 days to begin.7

How high has the Straight River been?

The record on the National Weather Service gauge near Faribault is 14.88 feet, on September 24, 2010. The June 23, 2024 crest reached 12.77 feet, marked preliminary.1

More questions

Two adults and a young girl smile on the porch of an old white house, a maple in autumn colour in the yard.

Want a company nearby to look at it?

Call and an independent restoration company that serves Faribault answers. The call is free and you are not committing to anything.

Call (507) 333-9838

Faribault Water Damage Advice is a free referral and information service, not a contractor. Calls go through our call-tracking line to independent local restoration companies, and we may be paid when a call qualifies. We do not do the work and do not set prices or availability. How it works

Sources

Each numbered note on this page points here. We read every page on October 24, 2026. Where sources disagree we say so; where we could not find a source we left the claim out. We are not affiliated with any of these organizations.

  1. National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service, Straight River near Faribault (FRBM5): historic crests. Read October 24, 2026; the June 23, 2024 crest is marked preliminary. water.noaa.gov/gauges/frbm5
  2. Triple-I (Insurance Information Institute), How to protect your home from water damage. No date shown (page copyright 2026). www.iii.org/article/how-to-protect-your-home-from-water-damage
  3. CDC, Safety Guidelines: Reentering Your Flooded Home. Page updated August 24, 2026. www.cdc.gov/floods/safety/reentering-your-flooded-home-safety.html
  4. Triple-I (Insurance Information Institute), Settling insurance claims after a disaster. No date shown (page copyright 2026). www.iii.org/article/settling-insurance-claims-after-a-disaster
  5. U.S. EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home. Page updated February 18, 2026. www.epa.gov/mold/brief-guide-mold-moisture-and-your-home
  6. American Red Cross, Preventing & Thawing Frozen Pipes. Copyright 2026. www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/winter-storm…
  7. FEMA FloodSmart (National Flood Insurance Program), Buy a Flood Insurance Policy. No date shown. www.floodsmart.gov/get-insured/buy-a-policy
Call (507) 333-9838Free service. We'll connect you with a local restoration company. How it works