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What to Do Before Help Arrives After Basement Flooding

Before help arrives basement flooding leaves a homeowner waiting, and the waiting time is best spent on safety and on the small steps that protect what is still dry. The water in the basement cannot be dealt with safely from inside the home, and the room should stay out of bounds until a professional arrives, but there is still useful work to do on dry ground. The waiting steps are about the household, the dry belongings, and the record of what happened.

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Basements are uncommon across most of California, and they exist mainly in older homes and some hillside areas, so this guidance applies to a smaller group of homes. For those homes, though, knowing what to do while waiting is worth as much as knowing what to do when the water is found. The [basement flooding cleanup](/basement-flooding-cleanup/) page describes the cleanup service in general terms.

Stay out and keep everyone out

The first waiting step is to stay out of the flooded basement and to keep everyone else out too. Never enter a flooded basement, because submerged outlets and panels make the water dangerous, and floodwater is not safe water. Close the basement door if you can do so from dry ground, and tell everyone in the home that the room is out of bounds until a professional has dealt with it.

Do not send anyone down to look, and do not try to wade in to save belongings or to switch something off. The water will still be there when a professional arrives, and the room is not worth the risk. A child or a pet that wanders in is in danger from the water and from the electricity in it.

Shut off the water only if safe

If the water is clearly from plumbing, shut off the water main if it is safe to do so from a dry place. The shut-off should never be reached by wading through standing water, and if it is in the flooded basement itself, it should be left alone. If the water is from rain, shutting off the water main will not stop it, and the useful step is to keep the household away from the room.

Do not touch electrical items, switches, or outlets in standing water. If the power needs to be shut off, do it only from a dry place and only if it is safe to do so; otherwise leave it and call a professional.

What to Do Before Help Arrives After Basement Flooding — California basement water damage guide

Protect what is still dry

While waiting, move belongings that are on dry ground away from the stairs and the basement door, so that water cannot reach them if it rises further. Do not carry items out of a flooded room, and do not go down into the water to save anything. The belongings that matter most are the ones that are still dry, and keeping them that way is the practical step to take while waiting.

If water is near the top of the stairs, move rugs, boxes, and anything else on the floor near the door to higher ground. A towel at the threshold will not hold back a flood, but moving dry belongings out of the way will keep them dry if the water rises a little further.

Make a record from a safe place

While waiting, make a record from a safe, dry place: note the time you found the water, where it is, how deep it looks, whether it is still rising, and whether it followed rain or appeared on a dry day. Take photographs from the top of the stairs, because a record of the water level and where it appeared is useful later for the cleanup company and for any insurer you speak to.

Do not go down into the water to take a closer photograph. The record you make from the stairs is enough, and it keeps you safe while you make it. Keep the notes together with any photographs, so that the record is complete when it is needed.

Call the insurer after the safety steps

After the safety steps, call the insurer to tell them what has happened, or as soon as it is safe to do so. Ask what the insurer needs from you, and keep a record of the conversation. No coverage promise is made here, because whether a claim is covered depends on the policy and the cause, and only the insurer can say. Keep any receipts for the work that follows.

The documentation blog on this site describes the general steps for recording water damage for a claim, and the insurance blog describes insurance in general terms only.

What not to do while waiting

While waiting, do not try to pump the water out yourself while standing in it, do not try to repair a burst pipe yourself, and do not use a household vacuum or mop in standing water. Do not use electrical items near the water, and do not open the basement door to let the water out into the rest of the home. The waiting steps are the safe ones, and the rest is for a professional.

The [basement flooding cleanup](/basement-flooding-cleanup/) page describes the cleanup service in general terms for California homeowners with basements.

Key Takeaways

The first waiting step is to stay out of the flooded basement and to keep everyone else out too.
If the water is clearly from plumbing, shut off the water main if it is safe to do so from a dry place.
While waiting, move belongings that are on dry ground away from the stairs and the basement door, so that water cannot reach them if it rises further.
While waiting, make a record from a safe, dry place: note the time you found the water, where it is, how deep it looks, whether it is still rising, and whether it followed rain or appeared on a dry day.
After the safety steps, call the insurer to tell them what has happened, or as soon as it is safe to do so.
While waiting, do not try to pump the water out yourself while standing in it, do not try to repair a burst pipe yourself, and do not use a household vacuum or mop in standing water.

Your Next Step

If this guide matches what you found at home, the next step is a visit — not a guess. Call and describe what you found, and the visit is arranged from what you describe. The Basement Flooding Cleanup page explains what that service covers, the Basement Flooding Cleanup page covers a related part of the job, and the services hub lists every service in one place.

While you wait, do not enter a flooded basement and do not touch switches, plugs or appliances in standing water. Floodwater is not safe water — keep pets and children clear of it.

Keep the guides on this site bookmarked: the first guide, the signs guide, and the preparation guide cover the checks worth repeating — after moving in, and after heavy rain.

Basement water damage help is available across California. See basement water damage cleanup in Mission Canyon, CA for one local example, or find your town on the service areas page.