Storm & Flood Cleanup in Gary, MI

Storm water in Gary homes

Northwest Indiana sees it all: spring thaw on frozen ground with nowhere to drain, summer thunderstorms that drop two inches in an hour, and wind that peels back shingles and lets rain into attics. In Gary, the pattern on a big storm night is predictable — sump pumps lose power or can't keep up, window wells fill, and low-lying streets send overland water toward foundations.

Storm water is rarely clean. Once it's crossed a lawn, a street, or a storm drain it's handled as contaminated (Category 2–3), which changes the cleanup: porous materials it soaked get removed rather than dried, and surfaces get disinfected, not just dried out.

Emergency response, in order

• Safety sweep: electrical hazards, structural sagging, gas smell — before anyone wades in.
• Board-up and tarp-over for wind and roof breaches to stop ongoing intrusion.
• High-volume extraction, then removal of soaked pad, insulation, and compromised drywall.
• Antimicrobial treatment and monitored structural drying with daily moisture logs.

Flood vs. storm damage: the insurance line that matters

Here's the distinction that decides claims: water that falls or is blown into the home (roof breach, wind-driven rain) is generally storm damage under homeowner's insurance; water that rises into the home from ground level is flood damage, covered only by a separate FEMA/NFIP or private flood policy. Many losses are a mix, and how the cause is documented in the first 48 hours materially affects the outcome. The crews we work with photograph water lines, note entry points, and write cause-of-loss descriptions adjusters can act on — details in the claims guide.