OR CALL 
(312) 800-1940
We’re here to help. You can fill out the form below, call or text us at (312) 800-1940.
"*" indicates required fields
A flooded basement can quickly turn into a complete nightmare for Chicago homeowners. Your home faces a double threat from the city’s old pipes and sewers. Plus, those heavy rainstorms keep getting worse! You need to act fast when water starts rising in your basement. Every minute counts when it comes to saving your items and stopping nasty mold from growing on your walls.
You’ll want to know what to look for in those first hours after water gets in. You’ll want to stay safe around electrical hazards and figure out what’s worth saving (and what needs to go straight to the curb).
Floods are never fun. But I’ll walk you through the steps and you’ll learn some tricks to keep water out of your basement the next time storms roll through Chicago. Let’s get started!
Chicago’s aging infrastructure and the increasingly extreme weather create the perfect conditions for basement flooding. The city’s sewer system dates back to a time when rainfall patterns looked completely different. Now, brutal storms can dump more than two inches of rain onto the streets every hour!
You can see flooding gets worse in Chicago because of how the urban community is built. Since 42% of Cook County is covered in hard and impenetrable surfaces, rainwater flows directly into sewers instead of soaking into the ground.
Your neighborhood’s combined sewer system also runs into problems during heavy rainfall. Since stormwater and sewage flow through the same pipes, these systems get overwhelmed faster and force that water back up into your basement.
The way your home connects to the sewer system can affect flooding. Most Chicago houses still use downspouts that feed directly into sewer pipes. During serious storms, all that extra roof water overwhelms the system and backs up into basements across entire blocks.
The numbers paint a clear picture of how extreme conditions have become. Last summer alone, Chicago residents reported over 12,000 flooded basements between June and July – more cases than the past two years combined!
Your flood danger keeps going up as climate change brings more intense storms to the area. Some areas in Chicago have seen nearly nine inches of rain in one storm. The city’s old infrastructure can’t manage these massive downpours.
The water backing up into your home usually contains raw sewage and harmful bacteria from overloaded pipes. Standing water weakens your foundation and can create conditions for toxic mold.
While programs like “Rainblocker” try to limit flooding in Chicago, the combination of dense urban development and increasingly extreme storms strains Chicago’s outdated drainage systems.
Chicago tackles basement flooding head-on with upgrades to its infrastructure. You’ll see the valves in storm drains throughout the city. These are part of the Rainblocker program that helps to control water flow when it rains. Your streets actually become temporary storage locations for extra water thanks to these devices.
The Department of Water Management maintains the big network of Chicago’s sewer pipes. They’re continually replacing old pipes and putting in bigger ones where flooding happens the most. Since 2007, you’ll find more than 400 green alleys around the city. Each of these alleys soaks up rainwater like a sponge and works with thousands of gallons every hour.
Your local government takes care of the bigger flood prevention work. Through their education programs, you can find what you need to know about preventing floods. You might even qualify for grants to upgrade your property against flooding.
As a homeowner, you help quite a bit in stopping basement floods. Point those downspouts away from the sewer system and toward your lawn or garden instead. Regular drain maintenance should be on your to-do list too. A flood control system could be worth looking into.
The city’s work is paying off in neighborhoods all over Chicago. Rain blockers do their best during storms. Areas with these devices stay much drier than before. Green alleys prove useful too. Right now they’re mostly in the established parts of town. When you and your neighbors redirect those downspouts, everyone on the block wins.
When beating basement flooding it takes teamwork between the city and people like you. Chicago keeps thousands of miles of sewer pipes. The city keeps pushing ahead with innovative services. Rain blockers and green alleys show just how serious the city is about fighting floods. These improvements mean your neighborhood can manage heavy rains better than ever before.
Protecting your basement from flooding starts with a few useful steps you can take. Water collecting around your home’s foundation causes most flooding problems. You need to push that water away from your house.
Your downspouts create the biggest water problems – check them first! Make sure they extend at least six feet away from your foundation walls. Point them toward your yard or garden instead of connecting them to sewer drains.
A sump pump will help when you experience heavy rains. You should test your pump by dumping some water into the pit. You might also want to add a battery backup system. It keeps working when the power goes out. Most battery systems are easy to install if you plan for it yourself.
In spring and fall, look at your foundation walls for fresh cracks. Even small cracks let water slowly seep into your basement. Apply some waterproof sealant wherever you find the damage. Remember to look around the areas where pipes enter your foundation.
The way your yard slopes can affect basement flooding. You want the ground to tilt downward and away from your house everywhere. You might need to add some soil near your foundation. Regular gutter cleaning will help you stay away from nasty overflows too.
Window wells usually turn into problem areas for water. Put some covers over your window wells to block rain and snow. The drains in your window wells need to stay free of leaves and debris, too. Remember to look at the caulking around your windows.
Regular maintenance stops water problems before they appear. Clean those gutters twice every year so nothing gets stuck. Give your sump pump a quick test every three months. Always keep your eyes open for any new foundation damage that might pop up.
The water moving from your basement faster will help prevent long-term damage. Your first move should be shutting off the electricity to avoid dangerous shocks. Make sure the power is off before entering any standing water.
You’ll want to remove all that water right away. For smaller floods or tight spaces, a wet/dry vacuum will work well. Bigger floods might call for a sump pump to clear out standing water. In extreme cases, professional services arrive with truck-mounted equipment for extreme flooding.
Once the standing water is gone, remove the damaged items quickly. Pull up any soaked carpets and padding immediately. Move wet furniture, boxes, and belongings outside where they can dry properly. Some items could be beyond saving and will need to go straight to the trash.
Now it’s time to dry everything out with lots of air circulation and moisture control. Set up some big fans throughout your basement to keep the air moving. A dehumidifier will pull excess moisture from the air and materials. This whole drying process usually takes a few days to complete.
Any wet drywall and insulation probably won’t survive. You’ll need to replace these to prevent mold growth. Take off the baseboards and cut away damaged drywall sections so air can flow behind walls. Clean and disinfect all remaining surfaces to prevent contamination from spreading.
Professional restoration teams are great at handling water damage. They can spot structural problems and manage tricky repairs too. If there’s any sewage mixed in with the flood water then you’ll need their expertise.
The cleanup needs your full attention to prevent future problems. Watch for any mold appearing in the weeks after. Check your foundation walls for fresh cracks or deterioration. You’ll also need to fix any drainage problems that may have caused the flooding.
Quick drying and removal of damaged materials protect your home’s structure. Moving fast reduces serious mold problems later. Most basement materials are lost once they get completely soaked through. Replacing damaged materials usually works better than trying to save and dry them.
Chicago’s devastating flood in July 2023 left a long-term mark on the city when a massive storm dumped almost 9 inches of rain in 18 hours. You would have seen the worst damage in western neighborhoods like Berwyn and Cicero. The rainfall topped 8 inches!
The flooding hit Chicago homes harder than ever before. Your odds of dealing with a flooded basement were pretty high – more than 70,000 basements took on water during this single event! The damage reports from July 2-18 alone topped the combined basement flooding cases for 2021 and 2022.
You could be stunned to learn that the July 2023 floods racked up about $500 million in damages. Most homeowners like you had repair costs between $5,000 and $25,000. These costs piled up faster when you fixed damaged walls and replaced ruined belongings. Many of your neighbors are still hoping those promised relief funds will come through.
Climate change keeps making Chicago’s flooding worse as time goes on. Your state has seen way more rain over the last hundred years. Heavy rain days are up by 40 percent. Now, about 13 percent of the properties around you face serious flood dangers.
Your city’s aging infrastructure just can’t keep up with these monster storms anymore. Heavy rains overwhelm the sewer mains fast. That’s why water backs up into your basement through private drains.
The flooding hits hardest in neighborhoods where people have less money. Your community could be dealing with outdated infrastructure and less protection if you live in these locations. Many of your neighbors don’t have enough money saved up for repairs.
Sadly, lots of elderly and vulnerable people still haven’t received any money from relief programs.
The latest weather patterns show you’ll probably see even more extreme flooding in Chicago’s future. Your city already deals with way more unpredictable weather than before. Weather experts say the conditions will probably get worse down the road. So improved infrastructure and stronger community support will help you and your neighbors!
Water problems in your neighborhood can affect everyone around you. Working together with your neighbors is one of the best ways to stop flooding before it starts.
The RainReady program in the city proves just how useful teamwork can be when it comes to fighting floods. You and your neighbors can meet up to find better ways to manage water on your streets. Basic services like planting more trees and making the soil drain better can help keep everyone’s basement dry when big storms hit.
Local groups aren’t sitting around waiting for help anymore – they’re taking action right now! Take the Chatham neighborhood – they built an app so you can track flooding incidents in real time. You can warn other people about rising water levels. You can share useful resources to make sure everyone’s ready when heavy rains come.
Some neighborhoods have even created their own flood action teams. These groups get together for local cleanups and keep drainage systems in your area running. They also push city officials to replace aging sewers that can’t manage rainfall amounts. Thanks to their dedicated work, basements that used to flood now stay dry.
The Basement Flooding Partnership between Chicago residents and city officials has made improvements. They installed “Rain Blockers” in street drains to control how water flows. You can join the local volunteers who keep these systems working and watch for problem areas during storms.
Your neighborhood can put together volunteer cleanup crews after serious floods too. These teams will help you remove damaged items from flooded basements. They share the most useful ways to clean up. Some groups even bring in experts to fix flood damage in older residents’ homes.
Look at how the Cicero Community Collaborative brings neighbors together during floods! They set up a fund so you can get support paying for water damage repairs. You can join the local volunteers who check on elderly neighbors during storms and help prepare their homes for heavy rainfall.
You’re not fighting flood damage alone – lots of your Chicago neighbors have dealt with these similar problems and have come out stronger than ever! Your next steps to help protect your home and your family’s health can make real progress right now.
Local flood action groups and neighborhood initiatives emerge when you team up with others on your block. A unified strategy for flood prevention creates stronger and well-built communities. These communities can manage whatever Mother Nature throws at you!
Getting rid of the water-damaged items and unwanted materials doesn’t need to be a headache. JUNK Relief stands by and will help you out as a trusted Chicago-based removal service with almost two decades of experience. You’ll get quick and friendly service that won’t be too expensive! Whether you need to clear out household items or industrial materials – our team cares about keeping Chicago clean, too. We make sure to recycle and donate useful items whenever we can.
Just hop online to book a pickup or give us a call. You can have same-day service from experts who will manage the heavy lifting for you.
If you’ve got junk in Chicago or the Chicagoland Suburbs, we can help. CALL US or TEXT US at (312) 800-1940.
BOOK NOW AND GET $10 OFFOR CALL (312) 800-1940
