Agoura Hills lives with a dry summer and a wet winter. The lower slopes of the Santa Monica Mountains average 15 to 20 inches of rain a year, most of it in the cooler months, and steep ground sends water downhill quickly. When a storm parks over the Conejo Valley, runoff can push across patios, under garage doors and into rooms set into a slope.
The Malibu Creek watershed drains 109 square miles of the southern Conejo Valley and the Simi Hills before the creek cuts through the mountains to Malibu Lagoon, and Medea Creek runs through Agoura Hills itself. After heavy rain, creeks and storm channels can rise fast, so keep well clear of moving water.
Ready.gov warns that six inches of moving water can knock a person down and one foot can carry away a vehicle. Never walk or drive through flowing water. Once the rain stops and water is no longer coming in, stay away from wet outlets and appliances, photograph the waterline on walls and furniture and keep children and pets out of the affected rooms.
Water that comes in from outside counts as Category 3, grossly contaminated water, under the IICRC S500 standard, because it carries soil, debris and whatever else it crossed. The EPA recommends a professional experienced with contaminated water damage when sewage or other contaminated water is involved. Expect soaked carpet, pad, insulation and the lower part of drywall to be removed, with the remaining structure cleaned and dried.
Coverage is the hard part with runoff. The California Department of Insurance says homeowners policies do not cover flood damage, though they cover other types of water damage, and flood insurance is a separate policy. The NAIC adds that water from rain runoff or ground water is generally not covered, while rain that gets in through a roof or window damaged by wind may be. Ask your agent before repairs start.
If an insurer denies a claim, California rules require the denial to be in writing, give its reasons and tell you that you can ask the Department of Insurance to review it. That review can be requested through the Department's consumer hotline at 1-800-927-4357.
Once the runoff is cleared, the drying steps on the water extraction and drying page apply, and rooms left damp too long may need mold remediation. Canyon and coastal homes in Malibu and hillside lots in Oak Park see the same winter storms.
Storm Runoff Cleanup Services We Offer
✓Hillside Runoff and Mud Cleanup
Water and silt that came in under doors or through a garage removed, then floors and walls cleaned and dried.
✓Storm-damaged Roof Leak Cleanup
Wet ceilings, insulation and walls dried after wind-driven rain gets through damaged roofing or windows.
✓Contaminated Water Cleanup
Category 3 water handled with protective gear, porous materials removed and surfaces disinfected before drying.
How it works
- 1
Wait until it is safe
No one enters while water is still flowing in or power is live in wet areas.
- 2
Remove water and debris
Water, mud and soaked materials are cleared from the affected rooms.
- 3
Clean and disinfect
Remaining surfaces are cleaned because outside water is treated as contaminated.
- 4
Dry and record
Drying equipment runs until readings confirm the structure is dry.