Water in your Hammond home? Here's what to do right now.

Tell us what’s happening, and we’ll help you figure out the next step.

Right now, before anything else

1. Turn off the breaker for the basement only if the panel isn’t in the water and you can reach it from a dry spot.
2. Lift belongings onto shelves or upstairs.
3. Photograph the water level and the drain before anything is cleaned.

Water in Hammond this year

Hammond’s water comes from two directions: the Little Calumet River on the south side, and the sewers when heavy rain falls fast. Overnight on June 9, 2026, the river gauge at Indianapolis Boulevard reached action stage after rising about 3½ feet in 2½ hours (about 1:09 AM CDT). On June 17, the U.S. Geological Survey gauge on the Little Calumet at Munster, just west of the city, climbed rapidly to flood stage (about 5:30 PM).

Street flooding followed several downpours. On June 24, video showed flooding near Shell Street and Wegg Avenue (about 8:30 PM). Late on July 3, several roads in the Hammond area flooded (about 11:00 PM). For the 24 hours ending 7 AM August 2, the volunteer CoCoRaHS station 2 miles north of Hammond’s center measured 4.27 inches of rain. *Preliminary National Weather Service reports (NWS Chicago Local Storm Reports): Report 1 · Report 2 · Report 3 · Report 4 · Report 5

Much of Hammond’s housing is decades old. The median home was built in 1952. About 30% of homes predate 1940, and roughly 7 in 10 were built before 1960. About 73% are single-family detached (ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates: Census Reporter).

What we do

• Stop what we can at the source, and tell you when it’s a plumber’s job.
• Extract the water and remove soaked materials that can’t be properly dried.
• Clean and dry the space, with moisture readings in walls and floors repeated until the readings show it’s dry.
• Photograph it all: the drain or source, the waterline, the readings.
• Hand off a dry, documented home.

If the water came through the roof, see roof repair in Hammond.

If your lower level took the water, see flooded basement cleanup.

Quick drying is what keeps mold out of the picture. The EPA says to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24–48 hours to prevent mold growth, and in older plaster and framing the readings show what the eye can’t. (EPA: A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home)

How it works: You call, and we listen first. We look and measure, take photos, and write a line-item estimate in plain language.

Documenting it for your claim

Policies often treat different kinds of water differently, so check your policy and talk with your insurer about how your water is treated. Our job is a clean record: where the water came from, how far it went, and what it took to dry.

We work with your insurance company. We document the damage and meet your adjuster on site, write a line-item estimate, and submit documented supplements for anything missed. We help you understand the process, and we finish with a dry, documented home ready for repair work. We are not a public adjuster, and your claim is between you and your insurance company. In keeping with Indiana law (IC 24-5-11-10.5), we never offer to pay, rebate or waive your deductible, and we don’t promise any payout.

Your Hammond paperwork

• Contractors: every contractor working in Hammond must be registered and licensed with the City. Check the City’s online list before you hire. Source: City of Hammond
• Repair permits: the City Building Division issues permits and inspections. Ask the Building Division whether drywall-only work needs a permit.

Financing

Financing available.

Hammond water damage FAQs

My house was built before 1940. Does that change the cleanup? It can. Older basements may have plaster, wood paneling or an unfinished floor, and each one dries differently. Moisture readings show what can stay and what has to go.

What should I photograph for my insurer? Photograph the water source (drain, pipe or wall), the highest waterline, damaged items with a size reference, and the outside grading if rain ran toward the house. We add moisture readings to the record.

Nearby

Water damage pages for Munster and Highland. Back to the Hammond town page.

Water damage help in nearby Indiana towns: Munster, Highland, Gary and Dyer.

Contact

Vantage Storm Restoration · Served by our Northwest Indiana team