The first hour of a flash flood in a Milwaukee basement

Keeping people safe first

Standing water near a live fitting is the most serious hazard in the first hour.

In a basement flood, the first hazard is electricity. Water can reach an outlet, a cord, a pump or the panel, and standing water conducts. Keep everyone out of the water until the power is off, and keep children and pets well away from it.

The second hazard is the stair and the floor. A flooded basement can hide a weak tread, a loose board and debris. Use the stair only once it is dry, and keep to the dry side of the room.

• Keep everyone out of standing water
• Keep children and pets away from the water
• Do not touch a wet panel or a live fitting
• Check the stair before using it
• Keep to the dry side of the room

Switching off the power safely

Power is switched off at the panel only if the panel is dry and reachable.

If the panel is dry and reachable without standing in water, switch off the breakers for the lower level. If the panel is wet, or the only route to it is through water, leave it alone and say so when you call. A qualified electrician or the utility can make the power safe.

Do not use an appliance that has been in the water until a qualified person has checked it.

• Switch off the lower-level breakers if the panel is dry
• Leave a wet panel alone and say so on the call
• Do not walk through water to reach the panel
• Do not use an appliance that was in the water
• Ask a qualified electrician to check wet circuits

Photographing the water line

The water line is photographed on each wall with the time before anything is moved.

The water line is the record of the storm. Photograph it on each wall, the stairs and the door frames, with the time on the photograph. Note the time the water was first seen and whether it is still rising. A photograph taken before anything is moved shows the state of the basement, and it cannot be recreated later.

Keep the photographs in one folder with the date. The crew will want them, and so will the insurer.

• Photograph the water line on each wall
• Photograph the stair and the door frames
• Note the time the water was first seen
• Note whether the water is still rising
• Keep the photographs in one dated folder

Calling the line and what to say

The call gives the address, the ZIP, the source and whether the water is still moving.

The dispatcher will ask a few questions. Give the address and the ZIP, say where the water appears to come from, say whether it is still moving and say whether the power is on in the wet rooms. The dispatcher then gives the first steps and sends the nearest free crew.

A crew is sent as soon as one is free. No arrival time is promised on the phone, and the call is recorded with its time.

Moving what can be moved safely

Small valuables, papers and electronics are moved to a dry, higher place if it is safe to do so.

Once the people are safe and the power is off, move small valuables, papers and electronics to a dry, higher place. Do not carry heavy furniture through water. List what is moved and where it went, because the list is the start of the contents log.

Leave large items for the crew, which can move them with the right equipment and record them.

• Move small valuables and papers to a dry place
• Move electronics only after the power is off
• Do not carry heavy items through water
• List what was moved and where it is
• Leave large items for the crew to log

What to do in the hours after

Keep the file, stay out of the wet rooms and make a note of each visit.

After the first hour the crew takes over the record. Keep the photographs and the list in one folder. Stay out of the wet rooms until the crew says they are safe, and note the time of each visit and each reading the crew gives.

A homeowner who keeps that record makes the insurer's questions quick to answer.

What a flash flood leaves behind

A flash flood leaves silt, debris and a wet structure that dries slowly, so the clean-up is planned in steps.

When the water goes down, the basement is left with silt on the floor, debris in the corners and a structure that holds moisture. The silt can clog a drain and the debris can block a pump. The structure, the subfloor and the framing at the lowest point hold water long after the surface looks dry.

The clean-up is therefore planned in steps. The water is removed first, then the silt and debris, then the wet materials, and then the drying is set against readings. Each step is recorded in the scope.

• Remove standing water first
• Clear silt and debris from the floor and the drain
• Remove wet materials that cannot be dried
• Set drying against readings at each point
• Record each step in the scope in order

Checking the stair and the structure

The stair and the floor are checked before anyone uses them, because a flooded stair can hide a weak tread.

A basement stair that has been under water can have a loose tread, a soft stringer or a board that has lifted. A homeowner should not use the stair until it has been checked, and the crew checks it before anyone enters the lower level for work.

The floor over the basement is also checked. A floor joist or subfloor that has held water for a long time can soften, and the crew notes any soft spot in the scope.

• Do not use the stair until it is checked
• Look for a loose or soft tread
• Check the stringers and the handrail
• Check the floor above for soft spots
• Note any soft spot in the scope

Telling the insurer and keeping the record

Tell the insurer early, send the scope and the photographs, and keep a dated record of each contact.

Most policies ask the homeowner to report a loss promptly. The homeowner should tell the insurer early and send the scope and the first photographs. Each contact with the insurer should be recorded with the date, the name of the person and what was said.

Ask the insurer in writing which terms apply to storm water and to water that backs up from a sewer. The answer decides which part of the policy the claim sits under, and the record of the first hour supports it.

• Report the loss to the insurer early
• Send the scope and the first photographs
• Record each contact with the date and name
• Ask in writing which terms apply
• Keep the record of the first hour

Clean-up in the days after the water is gone

The days after a flood are spent on drying, record-keeping and the first decisions about contents.

Once the water is out, the work moves from removal to drying. That takes several days, and the homeowner's part is to keep the record and to decide with the crew which contents are kept. Each decision is written on the list, with its reason.

The crew's visits are the checkpoints. Each one brings new readings, and each reading is compared with the last. A homeowner who keeps the set in order can see the drying progress without relying on memory.

• Decide with the crew which contents are kept
• Write each decision on the list with its reason
• Compare the readings with the last visit
• Keep the readings in date order
• Report any new damp area the same day