What to Do First When Your House Floods in New York
Water coming into your house is frightening, and the first few minutes matter more than most people realise. The instinct is to rush in and start moving things, but the safest first move is to stop, look at what you are dealing with, and keep yourself out of harm's way.
- ✓ Written for New York homeowners
- ✓ Visit first, then a plan
- ✓ Call to arrange a visit
Floodwater is not safe water. It can carry sewage, chemicals and debris, and it can hide electrical hazards you cannot see. If you need help getting the water out, emergency water removal is the service to ask about once you are somewhere dry and safe.
Safety first: stay out of the water
Do not enter a flooded building or wade through standing water inside your home. Water near outlets, appliances or a breaker panel can be dangerous, and you cannot tell by looking whether a circuit is live. If water is anywhere near electrics, stay out and call for help from outside.
Avoid contact with floodwater on your skin, and keep children and pets well away from it. If the water smells of sewage or looks dark and dirty, treat it as contaminated and do not touch it at all. Your safety comes before anything in the house.
Shut the water off if it is safe to do so
If the flooding comes from a burst pipe or a failed fitting, find the main shut-off valve and turn it off, but only if you can reach it without stepping into water. The valve is usually near where the water line enters the house, often in a basement or utility area.
If you cannot reach the shut-off safely, leave it alone and call a professional. Nobody should wade through a flooded basement to reach a valve. Note where the water seems to be coming from so you can describe it clearly when you call.
Move belongings away from the water
Once you are safe, move rugs, papers, electronics and anything valuable away from the water if you can do so without stepping into it. Lift furniture legs onto blocks or foil where you can, and carry small items to a dry room upstairs if your home has one.
Do not try to save everything at once. Focus on things that cannot be replaced, such as photographs and documents, and leave heavy furniture where it is. A professional crew can advise on what can be dried and what should be set aside.
Call a professional and document what you see
Call a water damage professional and describe what happened, where the water is, and how deep it looks from a safe vantage point. Take photos from doorways and dry areas if you can do so safely, since those images help with any insurance claim later.
For homes in the west of the state, water damage help in Buffalo follows the same first steps, and the restoration process after a flood is covered in our guide to flood damage cleanup. The sooner the water is out, the less it can soak into floors and walls.
Key Takeaways
- Do not enter a flooded building or wade through standing water inside your home.
- If the flooding comes from a burst pipe or a failed fitting, find the main shut-off valve and turn it off, but only if you can reach it without stepping into water.
- Once you are safe, move rugs, papers, electronics and anything valuable away from the water if you can do so without stepping into it.
- Call a water damage professional and describe what happened, where the water is, and how deep it looks from a safe vantage point.
Ready for the Next Step?
Call to arrange a water damage visit in New York. Describe what you found and we will talk through the next step.
📞 Call (888) 855-7081(888) 855-7081