Indiana homeowners brace for basement flooding - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

With heavy rain forecast this weekend, homeowners need to be prepared for basement flooding. Eyewitness News turned to Indianapolis-based A & D Hydra Clean for some advice on what to do if you find water in your basement.

Hydra Clean owner Aaron Wilson points out that most flooding is not covered by the typical homeowner's insurance policy. The faster you clean things up, the less damage and out of pocket costs you'll have.

But before doing anything, be sure to play it safe. Make sure the electricity's off in the flooded area.

Wilson said, "Only enter in a well-soled shoe or rubber boot. Water is an excellent conductor of electricity. A lot of people don't realize that."

And when in doubt, don't take chances. Call a professional. The same if you smell gas.

Wilson said letting the water sit for any length of time can be disastrous to your home.

"Water begins to wick at a very fast rate vertically up the wall. So it's really critical, the faster you get the [clean-up] job done, the better off you'll be," he said.

And, you don't have to see water to have damage.

"A lot of people call and say it's not too bad. It's just squishy carpet. But it could be 200-250 gallons of water lurking below the carpet," Wilson said. "Padding is a great sponge, so it holds a lot of water and as it migrates up and wicks vertically in the wall cavities, that's when serious damage can occur quickly."

While the pros use heavy duty extractors, able to suck up large quantities of water, you can start with a Shop Vac. Also helpful? Dehumidifiers and fans.

Wilson said do not open windows but do crank the A/C.

"To open windows would be counter-productive," he said. "The air outside is super-saturated. There's a lot of humidity in it. We want cold, chilled air" in the flooded area.

Another thing you should do fairly quickly is to remove any valuables or saturated items from the flooded area. Some rugs can be saved by drying them out and cleaning them, but if they've been soaked with water containing sewage, you'll probably have to toss them.

He also said make sure you document the damage, either by taking pictures of video of it, so the problem can be fixed.

"It's really critical if there's an intrusion of water, to identify where that water's coming from, whether it's a window well or a crack in the foundation or poured wall," he said.

Often times the source of the problem is a failed sump pump. Make sure yours is in working order.

Dealing with basement flooding