Do people have basements in Mobile? (Kansas: new house, to buy, tornado)

[linc]

I am planning on moving to Mobile from Kansas City and would like to know if the houses in Mobile are able to have basements. I have looked at houses online and it appears some do and some don't. Are there certain areas in Mobile that basements won't work?

[t98234]

Originally Posted by linc

I am planning on moving to Mobile from Kansas City and would like to know if the houses in Mobile are able to have basements. I have looked at houses online and it appears some do and some don't. Are there certain areas in Mobile that basements won't work?

I lived in Mobile for a short while and I don't remember seeing any houses with basements. I would assume it is because of the risk of hurricanes and that it rains just about every day in the summer, so, if you had a basement, there would be a good chance that a basement would be flooded at some time and would ruin whatever you had stored there.

There may be some houses farther from the Coast that have basements because of less chance of flooding. But, close to the Coast and Mobile Bay, I would think a basement would not be a good idea.

There are actually a lot of houses close to the Coast that are on stilts--up to a story tall--in order to keep the living area from being flooded.

Hope this helps.

[linc]

Thanks for the reply. I just read about one with a basement that was in west Mobile. Maybe this is a higher elevation? In Kansas City it is almost crazy not to buy a house without a basement because of tornados. It is hard for me to imagine not having a "shelter" for such a thing. I guess Mobile does not have the problems with tornados like we do. This is something I will have to get used to.

[Southlander]

It would HAVE to be at a higher elevation to have a basement. Remember, the water table is quite high here. Dig a basement, you generally get an indoor pool. Hurricanes are usually a bigger problem. And in a hurricane, you leave and go north.

[Dragynwing]

Originally Posted by Southlander

It would HAVE to be at a higher elevation to have a basement. Remember, the water table is quite high here. Dig a basement, you generally get an indoor pool. Hurricanes are usually a bigger problem. And in a hurricane, you leave and go north.

not necessarily. many people left for Dennis and it fizzled out. actually, Northern Alabama lost power while much of Southern Alabama had few problems. if you're in an area not prone to flooding or storm surge, you can be just fine staying in Mobile during a hurricane. i stayed for Katrina and i'm very happy that i did. it was a few days without power, but i would rather stay and be with my family and neighbors to help out.

as to the question about basements, Southlander is right on. very few houses in Mobile have basements. you're much more likely to have a screened in porch, an additional storage area tacked on to a carport or garage or a shed. basements don't do well in this area.

[Keeper]

My Dad had a basement of sorts in a house in Spring Hill area. It was a tri level house with a room downstairs not a full basement. You really don't need a basement for tornadoes in Mobile. I think there have only been 2 recorded since 1950.
Remember Mobile is only 16ft above sea level.. so you really can't go too far down before you hit water..

[Dragynwing]

Originally Posted by Keeper

My Dad had a basement of sorts in a house in Spring Hill area. It was a tri level house with a room downstairs not a full basement. You really don't need a basement for tornadoes in Mobile. I think there have only been 2 recorded since 1950.
Remember Mobile is only 16ft above sea level.. so you really can't go too far down before you hit water..

hehe...well, there was the tornado that hit the midtown Wal-Mart a little over a week ago! you are right though. we usually only get tornados when there are hurricanes and they're usually not devistating like what you see in the mid-west. we have some strong midday storms during the summer but it's usually just lightning and a huge rain dump then gone in an hour or so.

[downtowndoll]

Adding my 2 cents...
There are some basements in Midtown, not many of course. You have to have a sump pump to pump the water out. We saw a few when we were looking at house and I can't say we thought of a basement as a plus. More like an undesirable problem.

In West Mobile, some parts are quite hilly and so there may be a basement with a new house. A sump pump would still be a good idea to control water.

Usually, tornados are not a problem. I was very surprised about the one at Walmart! Usually they are in the far out-lying areas.

[Annette Hart]

I have a below grade room partially in the ground in the front of the house and sides. It has french doors going out the back and a window. It is framed in block and very temperature pleasing. I would be curious to know if more people have below grade rooms in West Mobile. I feel very safe down there if a tornado or Hurricane were to Hit. Annette

[PortCity]

Your chances of finding a house with a basement would be in West Mobile and mainly the Springhill area since it has the highest elevation in the city.Basements are very uncommon in Mobile like previously stated.Tornadoes are not a Gulf Coast problem Hurricnes are.Hurricanes cause flooding ,and flooding in the west Mobile area is almost non existant.