What to Do in the First 24 Hours After Your Home Floods

Step 1: Ensure Personal Safety and Cut Utilities

Do not enter a flooded home until you are certain the electricity is off. Water and live electrical circuits are a lethal combination, and flood water can energize surfaces that look safe. If you can reach the main breaker panel without stepping in water, shut off all circuits. If the panel is in a flooded area or you are unsure whether it is safe to approach, call your electric utility and request an emergency disconnect at the meter.

Turn off the natural gas supply at the main shut-off valve, which is typically located near the gas meter outside the home. Do not light matches, candles, or any open flame inside a flooded structure, as gas lines may be damaged and leaking. If you smell gas at any point, leave the building immediately and call your gas company from a safe distance.

Wear protective gear before entering. At a minimum, use rubber boots, waterproof gloves, and a face mask or N95 respirator. Flood water from external sources carries bacteria, sewage, chemicals, and debris that pose serious health risks through skin contact, ingestion, or inhalation. If the water came from a sewer backup or river flooding, add protective eyewear and consider full waterproof coveralls.

Assess the structural integrity of the building before going inside. Look for visible cracks in the foundation, walls leaning or bulging outward, sagging rooflines, or shifted door and window frames. If you see any of these signs, do not enter. Call a structural engineer or your local building department before anyone goes inside, because flood-weakened structures can collapse without warning.

Step 2: Document Everything Before Cleanup Begins

Before you move, remove, or clean anything, photograph and video the entire scene. This is not optional. Insurance companies and FEMA require visual evidence of damage to process claims, and the documentation you create in the first hours is far more valuable than anything you try to reconstruct later.

Photograph water lines on walls, which show maximum flood depth. Capture every room from multiple angles. Take close-up photos of damaged appliances, electronics, furniture, and personal belongings. Open cabinets and closets and photograph their contents. If water reached the electrical panel, HVAC system, or water heater, document those as well.

Take video walkthroughs of the entire affected area, narrating what you see as you go. Mention specific items, room names, and visible damage. This footage provides context that photographs alone cannot convey, and insurance adjusters often find video more useful for understanding the full scope of a loss.

Keep a written log starting now. Record the date and time the flood occurred, the time you first entered the home, the approximate depth of water in each room, and every action you take during cleanup. This log becomes part of your insurance claim file and helps establish the timeline that adjusters use to evaluate your response.

Step 3: Contact Your Insurance Company and File for Assistance

Call your insurance company within hours of the flood. Do not wait until cleanup is complete or until you have a full assessment. Your policy likely requires prompt notification, and delayed reporting can complicate or jeopardize your claim. Have your policy number ready, describe the event and visible damage, and request a claim number.

Ask your insurer whether your policy covers flood damage specifically. Standard homeowner's insurance typically does not cover flooding from external sources like rivers, heavy rain, or storm surge. Flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or a private flood policy is a separate product. If you have flood insurance, file that claim separately.

If a federal disaster has been declared in your area, apply for FEMA Individual Assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov, through the FEMA mobile app, or by calling 1-800-621-3362. FEMA can provide up to $43,600 for housing assistance and $43,600 for other needs. This assistance is available regardless of whether you have insurance, though insurance proceeds are considered first.

Save every receipt from this point forward. Equipment rentals, cleaning supplies, temporary housing, meals while displaced, contractor estimates, and any other flood-related expenses should be documented with receipts. Your insurance company will require this documentation for reimbursement, and FEMA considers these expenses when calculating assistance amounts.

Step 4: Begin Water Extraction Immediately

Start removing standing water as fast as possible. If you own or can borrow a wet-dry shop vacuum, begin extracting water from the most damaged areas first. For deeper water, a portable submersible sump pump can drain hundreds of gallons per hour and can be purchased at most hardware stores for $100 to $300. If water is only a few inches deep, mops and buckets are slow but better than waiting.

While you work on what you can reach, call a professional water restoration company. Explain the situation, the approximate area affected, and the source of the water. Most restoration companies offer 24-hour emergency service and can arrive with truck-mounted extraction equipment that removes water far faster than any consumer-grade tools. The sooner professional extraction begins, the more material can be saved.

Do not pump a basement or crawl space too quickly if the surrounding ground is still saturated. Removing water faster than the soil can equalize pressure can cause foundation walls to buckle inward from hydrostatic pressure. A safe rate is about one-third of the water volume per day. If your basement has four feet of water, pump down about 16 inches the first day, 16 inches the second, and the remainder on the third day.

Step 5: Remove Wet Contents and Start Demolition

Move furniture, rugs, electronics, and personal belongings out of the flooded area to a dry space, preferably outdoors if weather permits. Separate items into categories: things you want to try saving, things that are clearly destroyed, and things you are unsure about. Photograph items in each category before moving them.

Pull up all carpeting and carpet padding in flooded areas. Carpet padding absorbs water like a sponge and cannot be effectively dried or sanitized once soaked. The carpet itself may be salvageable for Category 1 water if it is cleaned and dried within 48 hours, but padding is always a loss. Roll it up and remove it from the home.

Begin cutting out wet drywall. The standard practice is to cut a horizontal line at least 12 inches above the highest point the water reached, then remove all drywall below that line. This accounts for capillary wicking, where moisture travels upward through the drywall beyond the visible water line. Use a utility knife to score the cut line, then a drywall saw to cut through. Pull the wet sections off the wall and remove any insulation behind them.

Remove wet baseboards, trim, and any other wood or composite materials at floor level. These pieces trap moisture between themselves and the wall, preventing the wall cavity from drying properly. Label the pieces with the room and wall they came from if you plan to reinstall them later.

Step 6: Start Air Circulation and Drying

Open every window and door in the affected area if the outdoor air is drier than the indoor air. Cross ventilation moves moisture out of the space and is free. In humid climates or during rainy weather, keep windows closed and rely entirely on mechanical drying to avoid introducing more moisture.

Set up every fan you have. Position them to push air across wet floors, into open wall cavities, and through doorways to create continuous circulation. Box fans, floor fans, and oscillating fans all help. The goal is to keep air moving across every damp surface, because stagnant air allows moisture to linger and mold to establish.

Run dehumidifiers in every affected room. Consumer-grade dehumidifiers handle small spaces, but they are no match for professional-grade equipment. If you can rent a commercial dehumidifier from an equipment rental company, that will be significantly more effective. Empty or drain dehumidifier reservoirs regularly, as they fill quickly in a post-flood environment.

If the weather is hot, use the heat to your advantage. Heat accelerates evaporation, so running the heating system (if the furnace is undamaged and safe) or placing portable heaters in affected rooms can speed drying. Combine heat with air movement and dehumidification for the fastest results. Never use combustion heaters like propane or kerosene units indoors due to carbon monoxide risk.

Step 7: Apply Antimicrobial Treatment

Once wall cavities are exposed and surfaces are accessible, spray all remaining framing, subfloors, and structural surfaces with an EPA-registered antimicrobial or mold prevention product. These products are available at hardware stores and home improvement centers, typically in spray bottles or pump sprayers.

Antimicrobial treatment does not replace thorough drying, but it buys critical time. Mold can begin growing on damp surfaces within 24 to 48 hours, and the first 24 hours of your flood response are about slowing that clock while you get drying equipment in place. Treat every exposed surface that was submerged or is visibly damp.

Pay special attention to areas where moisture is most likely to linger: inside wall cavities, under subfloor panels, around plumbing penetrations, and in corners where airflow is limited. These are the first places mold establishes, and treating them proactively is far cheaper than remediating mold growth after it takes hold.