Basement water damage can be caused by several hazards. Weather events like major storms and flooding, broken pipes and leaky appliances, and backed-up sewer lines can all lead to basement flooding. Here are some steps you can take to protect your house and your family.
How To Respond When You Get Basement Water Damage Due to a Flood
1. Turn Off The Electricity
Water and electricity are not a great mix. Together they create a significant fire hazard. If you know how to turn off your electricity to prevent a fire from starting, do it as soon as possible. If you don’t know how, contact a licensed electrician. Tell them the situation and that it is an emergency. They will typically send someone out to help. Until the electricity is turned off, you and your family need to stay out of the home. This is very important for your safety.
2. Turn Off The Water Source
If your basement is flooding from a broken pipe or a leaking appliance, try to turn off the water source. If you’re not sure where to turn off the water or where it is coming from, you can turn off the main line. You can find the main line on the residential drawings of the plumbing design.
3. Contact Your Insurance Company
Call your homeowner’s insurance company and tell them what is happening. Let them know that you have a flood damage cleanup company coming. They will instruct you on what you will need to do to file a claim. Make sure to take notes because insurance companies have very complicated claims processes.
4. Take Photographs Of The Damage
If your home is safe to enter, try to get some pictures of the flooding. These pictures will be used to help you prove your insurance claim by providing evidence of the extent of the flooding. Take pictures of the flood, the damaged items, and anything else that may be relevant like the source of the flooding. Make sure to save these on the cloud so they are secure and you can access them when needed.
4. Remove Damaged Items Only If Safe
If and only if it is safe to enter the home and the water, you can try to retrieve some of your possessions. The sooner your possessions are removed from the basement, the less damage they will incur. If it is not safe, do not try to pull them out. Wait for the experts. It is simply dangerous to go into a flooded basement if you are not an expert.
Dry Patrol will come out pretty quickly in the case of basement flooding. The best course of action is to follow the steps mentioned above and wait for the experts to arrive.
Dry Patrol services the entire Columbus area, including Bexley, Lancaster, Westerville, Reynoldsburg, and Marion. We can be reached 24/7, so no matter when the emergency happens, we will be at your home within 90 minutes to get your flooded basement dried out and repaired.
