Q: The flood damage from this awful storm (first week of December) has driven us out of our house.

I just had our gutters cleaned out, but the house still flooded. The house is built on a slab. All the rain water pooled on the slab, came through the walls, and wicked up into the rooms. I didn’t know this, but our insurance won’t pay for flood damage. Now I don’t know what to do.

A: Sadly you are not alone. Thousands of people are out of their homes, and may not be able to return. Vashon didn’t have as much damage as many places in the state, but there are households even here that had damage.

Your house was built in the 50s, on a slab, and very likely did not have any moisture barrier installed (that is required by building codes today.) In addition, there probably was no drainage system dug around the perimeter to draw water away from the foundation. That would also be standard now.

At this point, you need to pull out the waterlogged sheetrock, which will mold quickly. Get a good drainage contractor to install a “French” or perimeter drain around the house, and find out what else they recommend to prevent this from happening next time. After that is done, replace the sheetrock. A new moisture barrier under that wallboard might be a good idea, too. Discuss it with your contractor.

Most people do not have flood insurance, particularly in Western Washington. There are identified flood plains on Vashon. To see if you are in one, look at the flood plain maps at the King County website. Occasionally, if you are not in a flood plain, you can get some flood insurance coverage.

Most of the damage done by the water in this latest storm is not covered by insurance. In some cases, FEMA, or other federal and state agencies, may be able to offer housing assistance for you.