For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for April 08, 2023

really helpful, Michael

“So’s the carpet”

People with basements in locations where sump pumps are necessary due to potential flooding should store things on high shelves and not on the ground.

Looks like Michael changed from his blue pants to his blue shorts.

You know that lovable Farley is on his way out when they start calling his name as “The Dog.”

Hurry and remove the carpet. It’s gonna SMELL. You’ll need new carpet. After the carpet removal, let basement air out and dry before installing the new one. And yeah, a brand new sump pump too.

A pipe in my one-story house broke over a Christmas weekend. What with insurance and contractor delays, it took nine months to gut everything to the walls, replace the flooring, redo the wiring, repaint, etc.

At his age, Farley is probably incontinent, so expect numerous stains.

Mike, please keep quiet, so you help your mother more!

The carpet will have to be ripped up immediately. Get a mitigation company in with their enormous drying fans and dehumidifiers quickly and you might save the drywall, might not will. Then of course, you need electrician and plumber to check all the pipes and wires. Oh, and get the insurance adjuster out right away too. This kind of situation is an all around expensive mess.

I love his look on the bright side! Sounds like my kids.

As a librarian, Elly should know that the books cannot be saved. Time to make an inventory for the insurance company.

Carpet in a basement???? Uhhh no thanks!!!!

Get a really good shop vac and some industrial fans to dry everything out. Then steam clean everything. I speak from experience.

I’m not ready to see that all-over again.

Optimist, pessimist and soggy floors!

Are they living in Mississippi?

A good rule of thumb, don’t build a house in a dry river bed.

Anyone seen what’s happened in Calif.? A lake that dried up 20 years ago has reformed.

Don’t ruin it for newbies.

And it only took a flood to get rid of it!!! Just imagine what all the 40 days and 40 nights rain got rid of…

First she chides her son for sleeping like a teen does, and then acts like he is the only adult in the house. When I read this comic many years ago, I didn’t notice the poor parenting as much as I do now.

Poor Mike… we all know he is going to take the blame when this is all over for sleeping in all day and not seeing that the sump pump was not working.

Dad is going to catch it, too… for not maintaining the sump pump….

Normally, it would be a bunch of sewage water down there… I wouldn’t be walking around barefoot.

The stain is gone, and soon the carpet will have to be gone too. I’m just picturing the smell….

Pumping water right next to the house won’t help. If you don’t discharge it far away and downhill, it will just seep back in.