Help!! We just had a huge rain storm here in the north east (over 4
inches since this morning). This afternoon we noticed a lot of water
coming out of the ash cleanout doors in the basement and making a mess.
After several hours of wet vacing the rain has let up and with that
the water soon stopped coming out the cleanout door. I finally was
able to open it and the water inside is about 3-5 inches deep and just
below the lip of the door (obviously the water level was higher
allowing water to pour through while the rain was heavy). The land
slopes AWAY from the house on the chimney (brick) side and I saw no
puddling outside the chimney. I could really use some expert opinions
here....

1.) Is the water likely coming from above (no chimney cap, or bad
flashing)?
2.) Is this ground water likely leaking through the chimney and polling
in the cleanout (I'd estimate the cleanout floor to be about 2-3 feet
below ground

We are having a chimney cleaning co. come to assess the situation, but
I'd also like to be armed with some knowledge before making any
decisions........

Thanks in advance!!!