Cork would be nice.

Vinyl flooring is more moisture resistant for basement applications.

It really depends on the look, durability, and price range you are working with. I personally put strand woven bamboo (floated) in my basement as it is a natural product, beautiful, and extremely durable (I have kids and pets). Laminate is difficult to scratch but terrible with water. Vinyl has come a long way and can look good at a decent price. Cork adds some warmth but can be difficult (in my opinion) for decorating. Hardwood and strand woven bamboo are personal favorites.

even with a sump pump the amount of rain, the rear yard drainage, the 1000 year flood zone can impact your choice. If you in an area that dumps storm water in to sewage lines the 1st thing I would do is but reverse flow preventer on the sewage lines. I did FEMA inspections in the past and those areas saw significant and smelly damage.

A cork floating floor with a vapour barrier will off the same protection as laminate planking - but with the benefit of warmth and comfort. I know everyone is looking for a "wet proof" floor for a basement...but the problem is there are only a few out there that will offer "flood" protection = ceramic or porcelain tiles; polished cement.

All the rest will damage with flooring. A vinyl plank floor MUST BE 100% vinyl = very expensive. A vinyl floor that is made up with fibreboard in the middle is just as vulnerable to moisture as every other laminate on the market.

A vinyl tile must be glued into place = gluing straight to the cement. This means moisture testing MUST BE DONE on the slab. If you want it to STICK to the cement, the vinly needs to use a solvent/smelly/off-gas producing adhesive. If you want to stay AWAY from harsh chemicals, then a water/latex based product WILL NOT WORK in a basement.

Check to see if peel-and-stick tiles are allowed below grade AND what moisture levels you MUST REACH to allow the warranty to stand. Peel-and-stick on a basement slab can and have failed. Even over a 'sleeper' subfloor (vapour barrier was not properly installated) these tiles can fail - the glue is not meant to grab below grade. The other option is to spray on chemical sealants to the slab (you must do the entire slab...walls and all) and then prime the sealant AND THEN you can glue straight down. Whew. Lots of work! Lots of chemicals.

You see the dilemna. Sticky tiles on cement MUST use harsh chemicals to grab. A floating floor over the concrete does not require chemicals, it simply requires a very good vapour barrier (6mil poly sheeting + moisture resistant tape on the seams), a decent underlay and the floor.

Personally, I would go with a floating floor. Less work, you can control the environment better, you can choose the chemicals you put into the basement and you can be (reasonably) certain that it will do very well. A flood, with or without sewage, will require new flooring...but then again you can't be sure the vinyl tiles will stay down under those conditions anyway. And if there is sewage, would you want to keep the tiles knowing what they have been exposed to?

Could you polish the cement? After our third flood we looked into it while the carpet was torn up, but the quality of the cement was not good enough to polish. Tearing up floors after flooding is awful. Would do anything to avoid it.

polishing the cement is not an option… I've looked into different vinyls in a floating version and like the finished look. We get very little amount of water and hopefuly the sub pump will alleviate any issues at all…
thanks everyone!