If you have basement flooding, let your municipal government know about it during or after the event. In many cases, municipal governments may ask homeowners to fill out a questionnaire or comment on their experience at public meetings. Municipal governments can use this information to identify solutions and carry out work on reducing flood risk in your neighbourhood.

If possible, record the following details when you have basement flooding so you can report them to your municipal government. Try to take pictures or videos of the flooding and flood damage. DO NOT gather this information unless it is safe to do so. Do not enter your basement while it is being flooded or when there is water present. This could lead to drowning or electrical shock.

• What was the date and time of flooding?

• Did the basement flooding occur because of rain, snow-melt or a combination of rain and snow-melt?

• Approximately how long was the rainstorm? Did the rainstorm appear to be extremely heavy, moderate or light?

• Were you using internal pumbing such as dishwashers, showers or laundry machines during the flooding?
• Was there any overland flooding in your neighbourhood?

– Was it flowing over private properties?
– If there was water flowing over the surface outside of your home, approximately how deep was it?

• How deep was the water in your basement?

• How did the water get into your home?

– Did it get in through windows, doors or vents?

– Did it seep in through cracks in the basement walls and floor?

– Did it come up through plumbing fixtures and floor drains?

• How did the water leave your basement?

– Did it eventually flow out through floor drains or did you have it pumped out?

• If you had a sump-pump, did it work properly?

• If you had a backwater valve, did it work properly?

• Did you hire a contractor, plumber, repair crew or cleaning crew to investigate the flooding incident or make repairs?

• Did you make an insurance claim?

• Was your claim denied or approved?