Woman Swims in Storm Waters After Severe Flooding Turns Basement into ‘Indoor Pool’

Hearing strange noises at 2 a.m. is rarely good news — especially in the middle of a storm.

That’s what happened to Jessica Loos, who couldn’t sleep when she suddenly heard a loud crash from her basement. By the time she got downstairs, water was already two inches deep and rising quickly.

“I ran to get my husband out of bed, and we immediately started moving everything we could,” Loos, 26, tells PEOPLE. “The water was coming in so fast that it reached 14 inches in no time. It was pooling outside our house with nowhere to drain, so it just poured in through the foundation.”

For hours, the couple rushed up and down the stairs trying to save their belongings. They started with the most important items, but many things were ruined — including baby clothes they had been saving for their almost-2-year-old son.

The water damaged nearly everything in its path, even their front-loading dryer. At sunrise, Loos called her nearby parents for help, and together they cleared out what they could from the drenched basement.

Eventually, there was nothing more to do but wait. With her husband and father upstairs, Loos decided to make the best of it. Inspired by a mermaid trend on TikTok, she set up her phone, jumped into the freezing water, and recorded herself swimming in what she jokingly called her “indoor pool.” The video racked up 3.5 million views.

She later shared more clips — one of her “paddling” across the basement on an inflatable pool float, and another inviting friends to join her.

@jessicaloos2020

Wanna come play mermaids? #flood #mermaids #swim #swimming #comedy #fyp

♬ original sound – Jessica | MAMA | BEAUTY |

Commenters immediately raised concerns, asking if the water was safe, whether she risked electrocution, or if she could be exposed to a “brain-eating amoeba.”

Loos explained that her home, built less than five years ago, has no sewer connection to the basement.

“In the video, the brown reflection from the ceiling made the water look worse than it was,” she says. “I didn’t get sick, and definitely no brain-eating amoeba like some people feared. I was just trying to have fun.”

She also reassured people about electrical safety: “There was no risk. The basement is all concrete, and the wiring is in the ceiling. It really was just like a giant pool.”

By 9 a.m., the water had been pumped out. Since then, Loos has been working with plumbers to assess the damage and filed a claim with her insurance company. But because she lives in Camp Point, Ill. — a place that rarely floods — her policy doesn’t cover the destruction.

“Our agent told us there was nothing under our policy for this, which was heartbreaking,” she says. “Everything will have to be paid for out of pocket.”

Some things couldn’t be replaced, including her high school diploma and salutatorian certificate. In the meantime, she and her husband have been doing laundry at her parents’ house while slowly cleaning and repairing the damage.

To prevent future surprises, Loos installed a Ring camera in her basement to keep watch during storms. She says the next few weeks will be focused on keeping the space clean and dry.

“So far, no mold or other issues have shown up,” she explains. “We’ve always kept a dehumidifier running and made sure the basement stays maintained in case of rain.”

As for her viral “basement pool”? It’s closed for the season — and hopefully for good.