Get your flooded basement cleaned and dry

Most sewers in the Chicago area carry sewage and rainwater in the same pipes. The City of Chicago says intense storms can drop two inches of rain or more in an hour on a single neighborhood, and when sewer mains fill up, water pushes into basements through private sewer drains. Water that comes in that way is sewer water, so it has to be cleaned up as contaminated water.

Yes. A 2014 Center for Neighborhood Technology study counted more than 181,000 flood damage claims across 97 percent of Cook County ZIP codes from 2007 to 2011, and found no link between damage payouts and mapped floodplains. The study lists sewer backups and seepage through walls and floors among the ways stormwater gets into buildings.

It can be. The CDC warns that floodwater may contain sewage and household chemicals, and that open wounds exposed to it can become infected. Wear rubber boots, rubber gloves and goggles if you have to go in, wash your hands afterward and keep children out.

Non-porous items like metal, plastic and solid wood can usually be cleaned and reused. Porous items such as carpet, upholstered furniture, wet ceiling tiles and wallboard that is not dried in time often have to be discarded. We photograph and list everything we remove so your adjuster has a record.

The City of Chicago recommends disconnecting downspouts from the sewer and sending roof water onto your lawn, since as much as 500 gallons can fall on an average rooftop in a heavy storm. Triple-I notes that a properly installed backwater valve lets sewage go out but not come back in. A licensed plumber can tell you which option fits your home.

Hold off if the furnace, the air conditioning equipment or the ductwork got wet. The CDC says electrical equipment and appliances must be completely dry and checked by a qualified electrician before they go back into service, and the EPA advises against running a heating and cooling system you suspect is contaminated with mold. Have it checked before you turn it on.