My Basement Just Flooded — Here's Exactly What to Do in the First Hour

Step 1: Safety First — This Is Not Optional

Before you go downstairs. Before you grab anything. Before you call anyone.

Water and electricity will kill you.

A flooded basement with any live electrical current in it is immediately life-threatening. Your basement contains electrical outlets, appliances (washer, dryer, water heater, furnace, sump pump), and potentially your electrical panel. If water has reached any of these, the water itself can be electrified throughout the space.

What to Do Before Entering

1. Go to your electrical panel — usually in the basement, but sometimes in a garage, utility room, or on an exterior wall. If the panel is in the basement and you can't reach it without entering the flooded area, call your electric company (FirstEnergy/Ohio Edison for most of Northeast Ohio) to have power shut off at the meter from outside.
2. Shut off the main breaker — the large double-pole breaker at the top of the panel that controls all power to the house.
3. Only after power is off — use a flashlight (not your phone if wet) to assess the situation. Look before you step. Check for structural damage, floating debris, or anything that could shift underfoot.

Step 2: Stop the Water Source if You Can

Once the electrical situation is handled, try to identify where the water is coming from — and stop it if possible.

Broken or Burst Pipe

Your main water shutoff is almost certainly in the basement or utility area. On most Northeast Ohio homes, it's near where the water line enters the house from the street (typically through the foundation wall). If you can't reach it safely, the city shutoff is usually near the street — you may need a meter key tool to operate it. If you can't stop the flow, call us at (330) 574-1507 immediately.

Sump Pump Failure / Rain Water

If flooding is from groundwater through the floor or walls (typically during a storm), you can't stop it at the source — you can only work on removing it faster than it's coming in. If your sump pump is non-functional, see if it has a reset button, check that the float isn't stuck, and verify the discharge line isn't frozen or blocked.

Sewer Backup

If sewage is coming up through a floor drain or toilet, do not try to flush or run water anywhere in the house — it will make the backup worse. The cause is a blockage in the main sewer line. See the section below on sewage specifically.

Is It Sewage? This Changes Everything

Not all basement flooding is the same. Clean water from a burst pipe is a very different situation from a sewage backup — and the difference matters enormously for your safety and for insurance purposes.

Restoration professionals classify water damage in three categories:

If your basement has sewage backup — identifiable by the unmistakable odor and visible waste material — do not enter without proper protective equipment (gloves, rubber boots, eye protection at minimum). Do not run any water or flush any toilets. Open windows if possible for ventilation.

Sewage contamination requires professional decontamination and disinfection — not just mopping. The bacteria present (including E. coli, Salmonella, hepatitis A virus) can survive on surfaces well after the water dries. Call us immediately for emergency response.

Step 3: Document Everything Before You Move Anything

This step takes 5–10 minutes and can save you thousands of dollars on your insurance claim. Do it before removing water or moving anything.

• Take video first — walk through and narrate what you're seeing. Video establishes the scope better than photos alone.
• Photograph from multiple angles — walls, floor, all affected items, the water source if visible.
• Note the water depth — take a photo next to a ruler or measuring tape if possible.
• Document all damaged items — furniture, appliances, stored belongings, finished materials (carpet, drywall, etc.).
• Don't move damaged items until you've photographed them in place.

Then call your insurance company's claims line (not your agent — the claims line). Report the incident and get a claim number before any major cleanup work begins. Ask whether you need an adjuster to inspect before materials are removed.

For questions about Ohio homeowners insurance coverage for water damage, the Ohio Department of Insurance provides consumer guidance.

Step 4: Begin Water Removal

Speed matters. The faster you remove standing water, the less it soaks into building materials and the less damage results.

Options for Water Removal

• Wet/dry shop vac: Effective for small amounts (an inch or less over limited area). Needs to be emptied frequently.
• Submersible pump (rental): Home Depot, Lowe's, and equipment rental companies in the area carry these. Effective for larger amounts — can move hundreds of gallons per hour.
• Mop and bucket: Only practical for very small, shallow amounts.
• Professional extraction: Truck-mounted extraction equipment used by water damage professionals can remove water from large areas in minutes, far faster than any consumer equipment.

Where to discharge the water: route it away from your home — to the street, a yard drain, or a dry area of the yard well away from the foundation. Do not pump sewage-contaminated water into your yard without checking local regulations — in some municipalities this can create a health department issue.

Step 5: Start Drying — Right Now

Removing standing water is only the beginning. The water that's soaked into your carpet padding, into your drywall, into your subfloor — that's where mold grows. And in Northeast Ohio's humid climate, mold can establish within 24–48 hours of water exposure.

What to Remove Immediately

• Carpet and padding: Wet carpet padding almost always needs to be discarded — it's nearly impossible to dry thoroughly, and mold grows in it rapidly. The carpet itself may be salvageable if dried quickly; the padding almost never is.
• Wet furniture: Move upholstered furniture out of the wet area. It can often be dried and cleaned if addressed quickly.
• Damaged drywall: Wet drywall below the waterline typically needs to come out. It won't dry properly in place and mold will grow inside the wall cavity.
• Personal belongings: Move documents, photos, and valuables to a dry area. Wet documents can sometimes be saved by drying them flat (do not stack wet paper).

Equipment for Drying

• Fans: Point them at wet surfaces. Create airflow across the floor and walls.
• Dehumidifier: Essential in a humid basement. A consumer-grade dehumidifier helps but may not be enough for significant flooding — professional units pull many times more moisture per hour.
• Open windows and doors (if outdoor humidity is low — in spring in Ohio, outdoor air is sometimes wetter than indoor, in which case keep them closed and run the dehumidifier).

When to Call a Professional Right Now (Not Tomorrow)

Call AK Water Works at (330) 574-1507 immediately if any of these apply:

• You cannot identify or stop the water source
• The flooding is from sewage or suspected sewage
• You have any electrical safety concern
• The water level is more than a few inches, or the flooded area is large
• Water has been sitting for more than a few hours
• You have a finished basement (drywall, carpet, furniture — the damage potential is much higher)
• Structural damage is visible (bowing walls, sagging ceiling)
• You want the drying done right the first time so mold doesn't come back in 2 weeks

We serve Warren, Niles, Youngstown, Boardman, Kent, and the surrounding area with 24/7 emergency water damage response. Our team arrives with professional-grade extraction and drying equipment — not consumer gear.

Frequently Asked Questions