PuroClean of Burlington — 151 Industrial Dr, Burlington, WI 53105
Racine traces back to 1834, when Captain Gilbert Knapp founded a settlement called Port Gilbert where the Root River meets Lake Michigan — though the name never stuck, giving way instead to the French word for “root,” honoring the river the Potawatomi called Chippecotton. The city incorporated in 1848, and by the years before the Civil War it had become an active stop on the Underground Railroad. Racine’s industrial identity took shape soon after: Jerome Increase Case brought his threshing machines to the city in 1842 and founded what became Case IH, malted milk was invented here in 1887 by English immigrant William Horlick, and Racine’s own John Hammes invented the garbage disposal in 1927, founding InSinkErator, which still manufactures in the city today. Danish immigrants left an equally lasting mark, earning Racine its title as the “Kringle Capital of the World” — bakeries like O&H, Lehmann’s, and Larsen’s still turn out the iced Danish pastry by the millions in the neighborhood once known as Little Denmark. Racine’s most famous architectural legacy belongs to Frank Lloyd Wright, who designed the S.C. Johnson Administration Building in 1936 and the cantilevered Research Tower in 1950, both National Historic Landmarks, along with Wingspread — Wright’s largest Prairie-style home, built for Herbert F. Johnson Jr. on the Wind Point peninsula in 1939 and now a conference center.
That history at the mouth of the Root River also defines Racine’s water damage risk today. The river runs directly through the city on its way to Lake Michigan, and it has a documented flood history stretching back to 1843, when a flood destroyed the original Main Street Bridge just five years after it was built. Modern flood events follow a predictable pattern tracked by a USGS gauge in the city: as the river rises, Lincoln Park and Horlick Park flood first, Domanik Drive closes, and at higher stages floodwaters reach the yards and basements of homes throughout the Lincoln Park neighborhood — a documented pattern that has affected as many as 250 homes during a single flood event. Add Racine’s status as Racine County’s largest city, with century-old downtown commercial buildings, established lakefront neighborhoods, and newer residential construction throughout West Racine, and the city produces one of the most varied water damage caseloads in our entire service area.
We handle:
Racine sits about 28 miles east of our Industrial Drive facility, and we make the trip via WI-11, the direct highway that runs from Burlington through Union Grove — the halfway point — straight into Racine, where it terminates at WI-32 on the city’s south side near the S.C. Johnson campus.
That route puts us on scene in roughly 40 minutes under normal conditions. For calls near downtown and the Root River corridor, including Lincoln Park, Horlick Park, and Domanik Drive, WI-11 brings us directly into the heart of the city. For lakefront neighborhoods and areas near Wind Point to the north, we adjust our route slightly once we reach the city, but stay within that same general response window.
Because Racine is the largest city in our service area besides Kenosha, we scale our approach by neighborhood and property type — a Root River flood event, a downtown commercial water loss, and a West Racine residential basement flood each call for a different initial response, and we plan for that from the first phone call.
Racine’s risk profile is inseparable from the Root River, which runs directly through the city on its way to Lake Michigan and has a documented flood history dating back to at least 1843, when the original Main Street Bridge — built just five years earlier — was destroyed by flooding. A USGS gauge tracks the river’s flow through the city today, and flood-stage data follows a well-documented pattern: as the river rises, Lincoln Park and Horlick Park flood and close first, Domanik Drive floods and closes between the Root River Steelhead Facility and the United Way building, and at higher stages floodwaters reach the yards and, eventually, the basements of homes throughout the surrounding neighborhood — a pattern that has produced basement flooding in as many as 250 Racine homes during a single event. The city has issued formal flood alerts and distributed sandbags to at-risk properties during recent high-water events, treating Root River flooding as a recurring operational concern rather than a rare emergency.
Beyond the river corridor, Racine’s status as an established Lake Michigan city with more than a century of continuous development creates layered risk. Older neighborhoods near downtown and West Racine have aging sewer infrastructure vulnerable to backups from heavy rainfall, tree root intrusion, and simple age, while century-old housing stock throughout the city carries original plumbing more prone to failure than modern construction. Lake-effect storms add their own dimension, capable of producing sudden, intense rainfall that overwhelms local storm sewers faster than in areas farther from the shoreline.
Racine’s architectural legacy adds a distinctive consideration for certain properties. Landmark structures like the S.C. Johnson Administration Building and Research Tower, and estates like Wingspread, represent construction of exceptional historical and architectural significance, and any water or fire event affecting a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed or -influenced property calls for a level of care and documentation well beyond standard residential or commercial mitigation.
Winter freeze-thaw cycles compound risk across Racine’s older housing stock citywide, with burst pipes common in homes with original or aging plumbing systems, particularly as frozen ground begins thawing each spring and previously undetected winter damage becomes apparent.
Owned & Operated by Jennifer Wine
151 Industrial Drive., Burlington, WI, 53105
(262) 342-2226
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Water damage can result from unexpected leaks, flooding from storms, plumbing failures, or appliance malfunctions. Our certified teams focus on rapid water removal, drying, and stabilization to help prevent further damage and mold growth.
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Even after a fire is extinguished, smoke, soot, and odor can continue to affect your home. Fire damage restoration services address visible damage while also helping reduce lingering effects that impact indoor air quality and surfaces.
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Mold often develops as a result of unresolved moisture or hidden water damage. Professional mold remediation helps identify affected areas, contain growth, and restore healthy indoor conditions.
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Biohazard situations, including crime scene cleanup and virus decontamination, require specialized cleaning and handling to protect health and safety. Biohazard cleanup services address contamination using proper protocols and professional care.
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PuroClean provides 24/7 commercial property damage restoration services for businesses and facilities across the United States.
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Water damage can result from unexpected leaks, flooding from storms, plumbing failures, or appliance malfunctions. Our certified teams focus on rapid water removal, drying, and stabilization to help prevent further damage and mold growth.
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Answers to the questions Racine homeowners and business owners ask us most
Yes, and it’s tracked in detail. A USGS gauge on the Root River in Racine shows a documented flood-stage progression: as the river rises, Lincoln Park and Horlick Park flood and close, Domanik Drive floods between the Root River Steelhead Facility and the United Way building, and at higher stages floodwaters reach the yards and basements of homes throughout the area — with basement flooding recorded in as many as 250 Racine homes during a single event. The city has issued formal flood alerts and delivered sandbags to at-risk properties during recent high-water events. If your home is in this area, we recommend monitoring the Root River gauge during heavy rain forecasts and confirming your flood insurance coverage, since river flooding is typically excluded from standard homeowners policies.
In most cases, no. Standard homeowners insurance typically excludes flood damage from a rising river, which is the primary risk for Racine properties near the Root River corridor, including areas around Lincoln Park, Horlick Park, and Domanik Drive. Coverage for that kind of loss generally requires a separate NFIP flood insurance policy. What your standard policy may cover differently is water damage from a separate source with a similar result — a sewer backup, sump pump failure, or groundwater seepage — which is common in Racine’s older neighborhoods with aging infrastructure. We document the specific source of every loss carefully, since the distinction between river flooding and other water damage categories genuinely changes what your policy covers.
Significantly. Landmark structures connected to Racine’s architectural legacy — the S.C. Johnson Administration Building and Research Tower, Wingspread, and other Wright-designed or -influenced buildings — carry historical and architectural significance well beyond their function, and any water or fire event affecting a property like this calls for a level of documentation and care that standard residential or commercial mitigation doesn’t require. We assess original materials, construction techniques, and any historic designation status before setting equipment or making any demolition decisions, since preserving what can be preserved is often as important as the drying process itself on a property with this kind of significance.
It’s a common pattern in Racine’s established neighborhoods, particularly near downtown and West Racine, where aging sewer infrastructure is more vulnerable to backups from heavy rainfall, tree root intrusion, and simple age than newer systems elsewhere in the region. A sewer backup is a Category 3 contaminated water loss requiring professional extraction and disinfection, not a simple drain clog, and it’s a different issue from river flooding or general stormwater seepage even though the symptoms can look similar. We document the specific source of your water intrusion — sewer backup, sump failure, or groundwater seepage — since each requires a different mitigation approach and may be treated differently by your insurance policy.
Under normal conditions, we reach Racine in roughly 40 minutes from our Burlington base via WI-11, which runs directly through Union Grove into the city, terminating near the S.C. Johnson campus on Racine’s south side. Because Racine is one of the largest cities in our service area, we scale our approach by neighborhood and property type from the first call — a Root River flood event near Lincoln Park, a downtown commercial water loss, and a West Racine residential basement flood each call for different equipment and expertise. We gather full loss details up front so our crew arrives prepared for the specific situation rather than needing to reassess once on scene.
What Our Customers Say:
When you need water damage restoration services near you, call the experts at PuroClean. We are here day or night, 24/7, to help remove any standing water quickly and begin your water restoration service. We monitor the drying process so you can rest assured that your property is dried thoroughly. We offer commercial water restoration services for businesses and residential water damage restoration for homeowners.
PuroClean of Burlington
(262) 342-2226
151 Industrial Drive., Burlington, WI 53105
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