Rainy Weekend Leads To Flooded Basements

A lot of people were very happy to see the much needed rainy weekend in Sioux Falls, but for others it has left a flooded mess.

"There is water in this basement and it came from all the rain the other day running off the hill on the other side of the house and down into the basement," Intek Cleaning & Restoration owner Jerry Berg said.

Rainy days mean more business for Intek Cleaning & Restoration in Sioux Falls. Crews were busy cleaning homes in town and the surrounding area. After cleaning 30 homes and basements since Saturday, Intek says this flooding is due to ice and the frozen ground.

"There is no place for the water to go, so it's going to find the point of least resistance which is a basement," Berg said.

Intek says its crews are helping many homeowners dealing with the watery mess now. But there are a few steps you can take now to save their belongings.

"Start moving the stuff in the basement, get the furniture off the carpet, get it blocked up, put it on saucers or something depending on how deep it is," Berg said.

Berg also suggests getting dehumidifiers and blowers to dry out the flooded basements. There are also ways to prevent these pools of water from ever happening to you.

"Make sure your sump hose is not plugged. Make sure your sump is running and be diligent and check everything out," Berg said.

Berg adds that it's important to pay attention to your home over the course of these types of heavy rain events because if you don't get your flooded basement properly cleaned up, it can result in mold growing on your sheetrock.

"Make quick steps to try and take care of it before it becomes a major disaster," said Berg.

This is the first time this year Intek has had to clean up after a heavy rain. They say in 2010 they had six rain events, in 2011 they had one rain event, and last year, none.