What do you have stored in your basement that is neither waterproof nor something that should be soaking up water?
1. Your couch.
2. The walls.
3. The rug.
4. Your TV and entertainment system, including all 48 Wii games and 6 consoles.
5. The fake Christmas tree. Deck the halls with… smelly mildew? No thanks.
6. Three boxes of old clothes that are meant to go to charity. Sorry — were meant to go to charity.
7. Boxes of artwork, photos, mementos, and books from all three of your children.
You get the picture, right? whether you use your basement as a storage area or as an extra family room, there’s simply too many valuable things down there. No, no one would say that, if their basement were to get flooded and everything in it was ruined, they would be inconsolable with grief from losing so many material objects. But let’s be honest: some of these things are pretty darn expensive and the fact that you could afford them at all was a big accomplishment. And the handwritten books your daughter made when she was five are simply irreplaceable. It is shameful in no way to admit that losing these things would sadden you. And so it is equally without shame that you should look into ways to prepare for storm damage and water damage before it even happens.
Even if you still want to argue that losing material things wouldn’t make you even a tiny bit upset, keep in mind that water damage in any part of your house can lead to growth of molds and mildews which can be harmful to people and animals alike. And no — before you try to find the good in a bad situation — mold from water damage does NOT serve as an effective pest control method.
Furthermore, home structural failure is a very possible consequence of basement water damage. I.e., your entire house could be sitting on a bad foundation if you basement is repeatedly exposed to storm water damage, or even normal drainage problems.
To put it simply, waterproofing your basement is a smart investment. You never know when a disaster could hit, and you’ll be thankful if you’ve prepared in advance. See this link for more references.