Flooding Rains, Water Backup, Discharge or Overflow

Water is something needed by everyone; people, plants, animals and even the planet need water. Water also is needed in the right amounts; too little water leads to droughts which can lead to loss of crops, wildfires and other things, and too much water causes floods and other damage. Water as a cause of loss is something that can often be confusing as standard policy language deals with flooding, surface water, overflow and backup, with each term having a different meaning. Consequently, coverage varies depending on the determined cause of loss.

Recently heavy rains in Detroit led to flooding, but also led to the failure of sewer systems to handle the water which then led to water backing up through those systems and causing property damage. When that happens, what is the cause of loss—flooding, which as we know is generally excluded; or is it backup of a sewer or drain, which may be covered by the proper form?