What to Do When Your Home Floods

A flooded home is disorienting. Water is spreading, belongings are at risk, and the damage is getting worse by the minute. This guide gives you a clear sequence of actions — what to do first, what to do next, and what to leave to the professionals. If you're in the middle of an emergency right now, call us at (704) 385-1018 and we'll dispatch a crew while you work through these steps.

Before you touch anything, assess your safety. Water and electricity are a lethal combination.

Turn off the power. If you can reach your electrical panel without stepping in standing water, shut off the main breaker. If the panel is in a flooded area, do not attempt to reach it — call Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities or Duke Energy at 1-800-769-3766 to cut power from the meter.

Shut off the gas. If you smell gas or suspect a leak, leave the house immediately and call Piedmont Natural Gas at 1-800-752-7504 from outside. Do not operate any switches or electronics.

Watch where you step. Floodwater hides hazards: sharp debris, displaced furniture, open floor vents, and contaminated water. Wear rubber boots if available. Never walk through water that may be electrified.

Get children and pets out. Move everyone to dry ground or an upper floor. Floodwater — even from a burst pipe — can contain bacteria, and standing water is a drowning risk for small children and animals.

If the flooding is from a plumbing failure inside your home, you may be able to stop it:

Burst pipe or supply line failure: Shut off the main water valve. In most Charlotte homes, this is near the water meter at the street (look for a metal cover in your front yard) or where the supply line enters the house. Turn the valve clockwise to close it.

Water heater failure: Close the cold water supply valve on top of the tank. If it won't close or you can't reach it, shut off the main valve.

Toilet overflow or sewer backup: Do not flush again. If you can see the toilet's supply valve (behind the base), close it. For sewer backups, there's no homeowner-accessible shutoff — call a plumber.

City water main break: If water is coming up through the ground or street, call Charlotte Water at 311 (or 704-336-7600). This is a city infrastructure problem, not your plumbing. Document the event with photos and timestamps — you may have a claim against the city for resulting property damage.

Storm flooding: You can't stop rain. Focus on moving valuables, sandbagging if you have materials, and calling for professional help. Mecklenburg County Storm Water Services can be reached at 704-336-3897 for drainage emergencies.

Your insurance claim starts with documentation. Before you clean anything, spend 10-15 minutes capturing evidence:

Take photos and video. Walk through every affected room. Photograph the water level, damaged items, the apparent source, and any areas where water has reached walls or ceilings. Video the overall scene including standing water depth. Use your phone's timestamp feature.

Make a written list. Note the date and time you discovered the flooding, the apparent source, and which rooms are affected. List damaged items you can identify — furniture, electronics, stored belongings.

Save damaged items. Do not throw away damaged belongings until your insurance adjuster has seen them or authorized disposal. Move items to a garage or covered area if you need the space for drying equipment, but keep them accessible.

Keep receipts. Any emergency spending — hotel stays, emergency supplies, meals out — may be reimbursable under your policy's "additional living expenses" coverage.

While you wait for professional help, take these steps to limit the damage:

Move valuables to dry areas. Lift furniture off wet carpet using aluminum foil under legs. Move electronics, documents, photos, and irreplaceable items to an upper floor or dry room.

Remove area rugs from wet floors. Wet rugs on hardwood floors will cause permanent staining and accelerate wood damage. Pull them up and lay them flat in a dry area.

Open cabinet doors and closets. This allows air circulation and speeds drying in enclosed spaces where mold grows fastest.

Do NOT use your household vacuum. A standard vacuum is not designed for water and will electrocute you or destroy the motor. Leave water extraction to professional equipment.

Do NOT turn on the HVAC system. If the ductwork is flooded or the system's electrical components have been exposed to water, running the system can spread contamination, cause electrical failure, or distribute mold spores throughout the home.

Water damage gets worse every hour. Drywall absorbs moisture and starts to crumble. Hardwood floors begin cupping within hours and buckle within a day. Mold can begin colonizing wet materials in 24-48 hours — faster in Charlotte's warm, humid climate.

Call a professional water damage restoration company — not a general contractor, not a handyman. Restoration requires specialized extraction equipment, commercial drying systems, moisture monitoring tools, and contamination assessment expertise that general contractors don't carry.

When you call Charlotte Water Damage Restoration at (704) 385-1018, we'll dispatch a crew to your home within 30-60 minutes, 24/7. Our team handles:

- Emergency water extraction with truck-mounted equipment - Placement of commercial air movers and dehumidifiers - Moisture mapping to identify the full extent of damage - Contamination assessment and antimicrobial treatment - Direct communication with your insurance adjuster - Complete documentation from day one through final walkthrough

The first 24-48 hours after a flood determine whether your restoration is a $3,000 extraction and dry-out or a $15,000+ tear-out and rebuild. Fast professional response is the single most important factor in controlling costs and saving your home's materials.

Keep these numbers accessible:

- Charlotte Water Damage Restoration: (704) 385-1018 (24/7) - Duke Energy (power emergency): 1-800-769-3766 - Piedmont Natural Gas (gas leak): 1-800-752-7504 - Charlotte Water (city water main issues): 311 or 704-336-7600 - Mecklenburg County Storm Water Services: 704-336-3897 - Charlotte Fire Department (non-emergency): 704-336-2441 - American Red Cross — Greater Carolinas: 704-347-8000