Rapidly melting snow could cause trouble for homeowners soon. Here's how to protect against it

Heavy snow followed by bitter cold hit Minnesotans with a double whammy of winter. The good news is spring-like weather is right around the corner, but its quick arrival could spell trouble for homeowners. 

 "Homeowners sometimes are surprised by the rapid melt down," said Milan Bindas. He owns 360 Water Damage in Prior Lake. "And they don't even realize that sometimes the sump pump failed."

A failed sump pump would be bad news, especially in some Minnesota communities buried in over a foot of snow. That high amount of quickly melting snow could easily flow into a basement.

"We don't want to bring the water back in the house and that's creating flooding," he said.

Your first task after the storm was likely clearing the driveway, walkway and sidewalks. But don't put the shovel away just yet.

"There are multiple things that a homeowner can take a look at. Make sure that the gutters are properly cleaned, there's no debris and water from the roof can flow through the downspout going away from the house," said Bindas.

Shoveling around a downspout creates a clear path for water to flow away from the foundation.

You can even clear a few feet of snow around the entire perimeter of the home, especially near windows and doors, then check if your sump pump is working properly.

"How to check the sump pump is get a bucket of water and pour in a sump pump and see if the water is removing from the well of the sump pump," said Bindas.

Even if you did all the work, the saying goes, "water finds a way." So, what are the warning signs to look for that flooding is happening inside?

"Is the carpet wet? Are the walls wet? Sometimes touching it, hands on the surface of the wall and just (feel if there's moisture) because sometimes we don't see it," Bindas said.

Even a few drops could signify a big problem. Professionals like Bindas will often use thermal cameras to find water damage our eyes can't yet see.

"It takes a couple days for water to appear on the surface of the wall, but sometimes that's already too late," he said.

Most standard home insurance policies don't have flood insurance, but you can choose to upgrade. Keep in mind that there is a 30-day waiting period before it goes into effect.