Tetanus is a serious infection which can even be fatal. Tetanus germs (bacteria) live in the soil and dirt. The bacteria may get into your body through a cut or a wound in the skin. The bacteria make a poison (toxin) which causes the illness. Even small wounds such as a prick from a thorn can allow enough bacteria to get into the body to cause tetanus. The illness usually takes 7-8 days to develop but can vary from one day to two months. Therefore, you may have forgotten about a small cut before the illness starts.
However, if you can handle drying a basement on your own, heed the following suggestions: Pump out standing water. Use a wet/dry vacuum or submersible pump, rentable at Home Depot and other home improvement centers. At Home Depot, wet/dry vacs rent for $19 for four hours or $27 for 24 hours. A regular household vacuum won't do the trick, and using it might prove dangerous.
Clean the rain gutters in the spring and after all the leaves have come down in the fall. Blocked gutters will cause all of the roof water to dump directly against your foundation, increasing the likelihood of basement flooding. 3. Extend the rain gutter downspouts well out and away from your home. Do not connect the downspouts to your foundation footer drain tiles or to underground dry wells. This will only cause the roof water to further saturate the ground and cause flooding in your basement. 4. Walk around outside in your yard during a heavy rainstorm.