In the first days after a flood, make the building safe, stop the water still coming in, photograph everything before it moves, and then let the crew remove the wet material in order. Electrical safety comes first. Calls are answered 24 hours a day, and the crew is sent as soon as one is free.
Key takeaways
- Electrical safety comes first: do not enter standing water near outlets, a panel or wiring until the power to that zone is confirmed off.
- Stop any water that is still entering, if it is safe, before pumping, so the water does not keep coming back in.
- Photograph the water line, each room and each wet item before anything is moved.
- Keep wet material in place until the crew has looked, unless it must come out for safety.
- Do not restart gas appliances, water heaters or furnaces that were under water.
- Keep people and pets out of the water, and wash after any contact with floodwater.
What is the first thing to check after a flood?
The first check is electrical. Do not enter standing water near outlets, a panel, a cord or an appliance until the power to that area is confirmed off. If the panel is wet or the water is near it, leave the power off at the meter or call the utility.
Water carries current in ways that are easy to miss, and a flooded building can have damaged wiring that looks fine from the doorway. The safest approach is to treat the whole flooded area as live until someone qualified has confirmed otherwise. Do not reach into a wet panel or switch on a light to see better.
If you must enter a flooded room to reach a breaker, stay on dry ground, keep one hand off the wall, and wear rubber-soled footwear. If the water is above the bottom of the breaker, leave it alone and wait for the crew or the utility.
What do I do about water that is still coming in?
Stop the water at its source if you can do it safely. Close the main water valve for a supply line, and block or move the water away from a door or a vent that is still letting it in. Keep the rest of the building dry where that is possible.
Pumping water out while more water is coming in only repeats the work. If the water is still rising from outside, the first job is to stop it entering, which may mean sandbags or a barrier at a door, if you can place them safely and without going into the water.
Tell the operator at the first call whether water is still coming in. The crew needs to know, because the removal and the drying cannot finish until the source is closed.
What should I photograph before I move anything?
Photograph every room, the water line on each wall, the furniture and appliances at floor level, and any damage to the structure. Take the photographs before moving items, and keep the originals with their dates.
Take wide shots of each room from the same spot, then close shots of the water line and of each wet item. A ruler or a coin in the photograph gives the scale. The photographs are the first and most reliable record of the loss, and they are what an insurer will ask to see.
Write down a short list as you go: the room, the item, its condition and the time. The list and the photographs together make the record. A written note made on the day is worth more than a memory of the week.
| Step | Why it comes here |
|---|---|
| Electrical safety | Live wiring in standing water is the most immediate danger |
| Stop incoming water | Pumping while water keeps arriving repeats the work |
| Photograph and log | Records have to be made before anything moves |
| Pump out standing water | Removes the free water once the source is closed |
| Remove wet material | Only after the crew has read the moisture and set the plan |
| Dry and record | Readings on each visit show when the building is dry |
Should I pump out the water myself?
You can lower standing water with a pump if the power is off and the water is safe to enter. Do not use a pump or a wet vacuum that is plugged in near standing water, and do not pump water out if it is still entering the building.
A household pump can take the level down, but it can also spread water into rooms that were dry. The crew has equipment sized for the job, and it knows which material to remove after the water is out. Your pumping is useful only if it is done safely and recorded.
Keep a note of when you pumped, how much water came out and from where. That note goes with the photographs, because the sequence of the first days matters to anyone who reviews the loss.
What wet items should I leave alone?
Leave wet carpet, drywall, insulation, furniture and stored items in place until the crew has looked at them, unless they must come out for safety. Some items can be cleaned and saved, and others cannot, and the crew decides with you.
Moving a wet carpet or a soaked box can spread the water and the contamination to clean areas. Pulling drywall down can open walls that should stay closed until the readings are taken. The crew knows which materials to remove and in what order.
If an item is a hazard, such as a wet mattress in a child's room or a wet appliance near a gas line, move it carefully and photograph it first. Tell the crew what you moved and where it went.
What about appliances and gas?
Do not restart a gas appliance, a water heater or a furnace that was under water. If you smell gas, leave the building and call the gas utility from outside. Let a qualified person check every appliance before it is used again.
Water can damage the controls, the burner, the wiring and the safety devices of an appliance in ways that are not visible. A unit that was under water may look fine and still be unsafe. The check is part of the cleanup, and the crew explains what it found.
Keep the appliance's model number and take a photograph of its water line. Those details help the record and any claim for the unit.
Who should I call, and when?
Call the restoration line as soon as the water is found, at any hour. Tell the operator the address, the source, whether the power is on and which rooms are wet. The crew is sent as soon as one is free, and no arrival time is promised.
Do not wait for the water to go down before you call. The sooner the crew knows, the sooner it can plan the visit and the first steps, and the sooner the record is started. Calling early does not commit you to any price, because the scope is explained on site and approved by you before work begins.
If a gas smell, a fire, a collapsed ceiling or an injury is involved, call the emergency number first. Then call the restoration line for the water.
How do I keep myself and my family safe during the cleanup?
Keep children and pets out of the wet areas, wear boots, gloves and a mask for contact with flood material, and wash your hands and exposed skin after any contact. Mold can start within a short period in wet material, so keep the building ventilated where the crew allows.
Floodwater and silt can carry bacteria and other contaminants, and wet materials can hold growth that irritates the lungs. Do not eat or drink anything that was in contact with floodwater, and keep food away from wet areas. Clothing that touched the water should be washed separately.
If anyone develops a fever, a persistent cough, a skin wound that is slow to heal or a rash after contact with flood material, see a doctor and mention the exposure. The crew can explain the work it does to reduce exposure, but it does not diagnose anyone.
How should the first week be planned?
Plan the first week in three stages: make the building safe, stop the water and record it, then remove and dry in the order the crew sets. Each stage has its own checks, and the owner should keep a short daily record throughout.
In the first stage, the goal is safety: the power off to the wet area, the gas checked, the people and pets out of the water and the entries noted. In the second stage, the goal is the record: photographs, the water line, the list of damaged items and the time of each step. In the third stage, the crew removes and dries, and the owner's job is to keep the record complete and the wet material in place until it has been looked at.
A short daily note helps more than people expect. Write the date, the state of the water, what was moved, who visited and what was said. The notes are the story of the event in the owner's own words, and they support the photographs and the crew's readings.
What should I tell the insurer and the restoration crew?
Tell the insurer the facts you know, with dates, and say what you have done to limit the damage. Tell the crew what you have seen, what you moved and what is still running. Both need accurate information, and neither needs guesses.
An insurer will ask when the water was found, where it came from, what was damaged and what has been done. Give the facts you can support, and say clearly when you do not know something. Do not estimate a figure you have not measured, because a later correction can weaken the claim.
Tell the crew about any equipment that is still plugged in, any water that is still entering, any pets or people in the house and any medical needs. Those details shape how the crew plans its first visit, and they are part of the safety record.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first after a flood?
Make sure the power to the wet area is off, and do not enter standing water near outlets or a panel. Then stop any water still coming in, if it is safe, and photograph the water before moving anything.
Can I turn the power back on?
Not to a flooded area until a qualified person has checked it. If the panel is wet, leave the power off and call the utility or the crew.
Should I throw away wet furniture?
Not yet. Photograph it and wait for the crew to look, because some items can be cleaned and saved. Items that are a safety hazard can be moved, with a photograph first.
How soon should I call?
As soon as the water is found, at any hour. The phone line is answered 24 hours a day, and a crew is sent as soon as one is free, without a promised arrival time.
Is it safe to sleep in the house?
It depends on the power, the air and the wet areas. Keep the rooms that are dry separate from the wet ones, and follow the crew's advice on which rooms can be used while the work goes on.
What records will the insurer want?
Photographs with dates, a list of damaged items, the readings and logs from the crew, and any receipts for emergency work. Keep all of them together, and keep the originals.
Sources
This guide is general information for Lafayette Parish homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.