The first hour decides how much of a water loss is manageable. The steps are the same whether the water came from a split line, a storm or a river, and they are taken in order: make the building safe, stop the source, record the damage and then call. This guide walks through each one in the order a household would need it.
Key takeaways
- Safety comes first: keep people and pets out of standing water and away from any wet electrical equipment.
- Stop the source if it is a line by closing the main or the supply to the appliance, and note where it was closed.
- Turn the power off at the panel only if the panel is dry and reachable, and never step into water to reach it.
- Photograph the water line, the room and the damaged items before anything is moved.
- Move valuables and papers up off the floor if it can be done without wading in water.
- Call the line once the building is safe to enter, and say what has already been done.
Step one: is the building safe to be in?
Before anyone goes down the stairs or into a wet room, the power, the gas and the structure should be considered. Water near a panel, a furnace or a water heater is the most dangerous part of most losses.
Look at the room from the doorway. If water is near an outlet, a switch, an extension cord or a light fixture, the power to that circuit should stay off. If the panel itself is wet or has water near it, do not go near it, and call the power company from outside the building.
A furnace or a water heater standing in water is a gas and electrical hazard until it has been checked. If you smell gas, leave the building at once and call from outside. Do not switch on anything that might spark while you are in the wet area.
Step two: stop the source
If the water is coming from a supply line, closing the main stops the flow. If it is coming from an appliance, closing that appliance's supply does the same. If it is coming from outside, closing the main does nothing and the step is to protect the room.
The main is usually in the basement, where the service line enters, or near the front wall or in a utility room. Turn it clockwise to close it, and note the time. If the main will not close, say so on the call, since the water meter and the valve outside may be the next place to check.
A washing machine, a dishwasher or a refrigerator can be shut off at its own supply valve. A water heater can be shut off at its cold supply, and its power should be left off until it has been checked.
Step three: record the damage before anything moves
Photographs taken before the clean-up are the start of the record. They show the state of the room, the water line and the items as they were, and the insurer will ask for them first.
Take wide photographs of each room from the doorway, then close-ups of the water line on the wall, the damaged items and the floor. Include the outside of the house if the water came from the ground or a window well, and include the high-water mark if the water came from a river.
Note the time the water was first seen, where it was seen and whether it is still coming. A short written note with the photographs is the first record of the loss, and it is worth more than a memory written a week later.
Step four: move what can be moved safely
Valuables, papers, photographs and electronics on the floor should be moved up, but only where the path is dry or the water is shallow and clean.
Papers and photographs are the first priority, since they cannot be replaced from the same copy. They should be moved to a dry, ventilated place out of the path of the water. Electronics should not be moved if they are plugged in or if the power to the room is in doubt.
Furniture on a wet floor can be lifted onto a dry surface if that is safe, and it should be left in place if it is heavy or if moving it means wading through silt or sewage. The record should say what was moved and where.
Step five: keep people and pets out of the wet area
Children and pets are the most exposed people in a water loss. Standing water hides debris and cords, and silt and sewage carry risks even after the water is gone.
Keep children and pets out of the room, and close the door to the wet area so that the water does not spread up the stairs. The room should be treated as a work area until it has been checked.
Anyone who has been in contaminated water should wash their hands and any cuts thoroughly, and should not eat until they have done so. A person who has been ill after the water should mention it to a doctor.
Step six: call the line and say what you know
Once the building is safe to enter, call. The line is answered 24/7, and the first questions are short: where the water came from, the floor it is on, how deep it is and what has been done.
The call should say the street and the floor, the source of the water and whether it is still coming. It should also say whether the main has been closed, whether the power to the wet area is off and whether anything has been moved.
The line can answer the first questions on the phone. The rest is found on the building, and the first steps are set from what the technician learns when the water and the room have been read.
What not to do in the first hour
Do not run the furnace or the water heater through a flood, do not use a wet vacuum on an outlet, and do not try to clear a drain with a tool that enters the water.
Do not close a wall, lay new flooring or paint over a damp surface during the first hour. Those actions trap the moisture and make the later readings harder to take. Do not throw out wet items before they have been photographed and recorded.
Do not climb onto a roof in an emergency, and do not walk across a wet ceiling. If a ceiling is bulging with water, keep clear of it and call. Those are the moments when a short delay saves a larger loss.
What the first hour cannot fix
The first hour makes the rest of the work manageable. It does not repair the source, dry the building or settle the claim. Those are separate stages with their own steps.
A split line still needs a plumber, and a roof still needs a roofer. The drying still runs on readings, and the insurer still reviews the record. The first hour is the start of each of those stages, and the notes and photographs made in it carry through to the end.
Most of the frustration in a water loss comes from the first hour being spent searching for the main or for the photographs. A short list kept near the door removes most of that frustration, and the list on this page can be printed for the purpose.
What should the household do in the first day?
The first day follows the first hour, and its work is about the record and the safety of the house. The clean-up is planned, the people who need to be told are told, and the first readings are taken.
Take the photographs again in daylight, add notes on anything that was not recorded in the first hour and list the items that were moved. Tell the people who share the house what has happened and which rooms are closed.
Contact the insurer when the household is ready to do so, and keep a copy of the first note and the photographs for the file. The insurer will ask for them, and a clear first day makes the rest of the claim easier to explain.
What should go on a printed first-hour card?
A card by the door helps a household work in order when the water arrives. It should name the main, the panel, the line and the photographs, and it should be kept where anyone can find it.
The card can list the location of the main, the location of the panel, the number of the line, the insurer's claims number once it is known and the steps in order. It should be checked each spring, so that the locations are still right.
A card that is printed and kept is more useful than a phone that is wet or out of reach. The household should review it with everyone who lives in the house.
Frequently asked questions
What if I cannot find the main shut-off?
Say so on the call and describe where the water meter and the service line are. The main is usually near the meter or where the line enters the house.
Should I turn off the electricity to the whole house?
Only if the panel is dry and reachable, or if the water is near a circuit you cannot isolate. Otherwise, switch off the circuits you can reach safely and call.
Can I use a wet vacuum on the water myself?
For a small amount of clean water and only if the power to the outlet is off, yes. Do not use one on an outlet in the water or on sewage.
Is it safe to go in once the water has stopped?
Only after the power is confirmed safe and the structure has been looked at. Standing water that has stopped rising can still hide cords and debris.
What if the water is coming down through the ceiling?
Put a container under the drip, move valuables away from it, and keep the room's power off if the light fixture or outlet is wet. Call the line.
What should I photograph first?
The water line on the wall and the room from the doorway. Then the damaged items, the floor and the outside of the house if the water came from there.
Who should be told in the first day?
The people who share the house, the landlord or owner if the house is rented, and the insurer when the household is ready. Keep a note of each call and the time it was made.
Sources
This guide is general information for Lake County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.