Water is essential to daily life at home. But when things go wrong and your home begins to flood, it can quickly feel like an overwhelming situation. It’s helpful to know what to do in a flooding emergency so you can protect your family and find the best house flooding solutions possible. Whether you have a burst pipe or a heavy flood, you need to act quickly to reduce the extent of the damage.

Let’s go over what to do if your home floods and what you need to watch out for during a water emergency.

How Quickly Does Water Damage Spread?

If you’re dealing with a house flooding from rain, burst pipes or any other source, you’ll want to take steps to reduce damage immediately. You should start cleaning your home within 24 to 48 hours of the water damage to minimize the chances of mold growth and spread. If you don’t deal with water damage right away, you will have mold, extensive moisture damage, bugs and other concerns.

Water damage is tricky — it quickly sneaks into hard-to-reach spaces and soaks into carpets, drywall and belongings. As time passes, the water will continue to spread and damage your home. Without shutting off the water or getting restoration services, your home might begin to experience mold and structural issues. The faster you act, the better shape your home and belongings can be in, and the less extensive your water restoration needs will be.

What to Do When There’s a Flood Inside the House

Once you notice a flood inside, act quickly. The more water enters your home, the greater the damage will be. If you ever find yourself with a flooded house, follow these steps to help protect your home, belongings and family.

1. Stop the Water

You need to stop the flow of water before doing anything else. As long as the flooding isn’t caused by nature, you can shut the water off to reduce damage. The easiest, quickest way to stop the water is by shutting off your home’s main water valve as long as you have safe access to it. Once you’ve turned this off, you can begin to tackle the rest of the issue.

2. Cut the Electricity

You should turn off the power if your house floods and it’s safe to do so. Leaving the power on can put you and anyone moving through the house at risk of electrocution. Try to reach the fuse box to cut the power — if you can’t reach the fuse box without going through water, contact an electrician and avoid entering your home until the power is cut.

3. Leave the House

Gather your family members and pets and leave the house. Find a dry, safe place to shelter until you can get emergency services to the scene. Try to return to the home as little as possible before emergency responders arrive — you don’t want to hurt yourself by trying to save personal items in the house. It is unsafe to stay in a flooded house, so seek shelter elsewhere.

If the flooding is coming from a natural disaster, try to make your way to a temporary shelter. You need to be somewhere safe and without flooding water to ensure you have a comfortable place to stay.

4. Call Emergency Services

Once you’re safely away from your home, you should call emergency services. Dial 911 and tell them your home’s address and your current situation. If requested, stay on the phone so the responders know you’re okay. After contacting emergency services, you can begin to call loved ones to update them on your situation.

5. Contact Insurance

If you’re dealing with severe flooding, you’ll have to call your insurance company or landlord after getting ahold of emergency services. Explain to your landlord or insurer what has happened and update them on the current state of the home. If you’re talking to an insurer, ask if you need to wait for an adjuster to visit the house before you can begin the flood cleanup.

6. Take Photos, Videos and Notes

While you might want to get started with cleanup immediately, you should document everything before the cleanup crew arrives. This will help you show your insurance company the true extent of the damage and will make it easier to catalog what you were able to save. Wear protective, waterproof clothing while taking photos and videos — the flooding might have released dangerous chemicals, and you want to avoid bacteria and other harmful particles floating in the water.

Record everything you can — get videos and photos of every nook and cranny you can safely access after a flood so you have a complete record of everything damaged.

7. Hire a Professional Restoration Team

Avoid getting water out of your house on your own after a flood. You should hire a professional company to perform your water mitigation and restoration. While it’s tempting to try and save your belongings yourself, leave it to the professionals. Improper DIY cleanup can lead to hidden mold spores on items and untreated damage to the walls. Professionals have the equipment and experience to safely and thoroughly clean up everything after a flood.

How Long Does It Take to Dry out a House After a Flood?

Hiring a professional company is the best thing you can do to clean your home after a flood. But even the best water mitigation and restoration services will take some time. After getting a team to come to clean up 24 to 48 hours after the flooding, it will take several days to dry everything out thoroughly. The more extensive the water damage, the longer you’ll have to wait to return to your home.

After everything is cleaned up and completely dry, you’ll be able to return to your house and get everything in order. This is a waiting process — know it will take time to get your home fixed and your belongings restored. Having a quality restoration company you can trust can expedite the process and make everything more manageable during this time.

Call Drake’s Construction & Restoration for Home Flooding Mediation

If you live in the Mid-Ohio Valley area, trust Drake’s Construction & Restoration to handle your home flooding emergency. Our expert water mediation and restoration services will address your complex flooding issues quickly and safely. With over 20 years of experience, our team will efficiently find and execute the solutions you need to solve your flooding problems.

If you’re dealing with water damage, don’t wait. Contact us today and get your home restored.

What to Do When Your Home Floods