What should I do if my basement floods?

The right response depends on what the water is. Clean supply water from a burst pipe or appliance leak is Category 1, and with the source shut off it can be extracted and dried with normal safety steps. Water from a sewage backup or from outside flooding is contaminated, Category 3 water, and no one should walk in it or touch it without protection.

If you cannot tell what the water is, treat it as contaminated. Keep people and pets out of the basement until a professional assesses it.

Move boxes, furniture, and valuables off the floor to dry, elevated spots, and lift anything you can off the ground before the crew arrives. Photograph the water line and the stored items before anything is moved, because those records document the loss for insurance.

Do not run a shop vac or household vacuum over wet flooring, and do not try to pump out a basement that is flooded from outside, since removing the water too fast can put hydrostatic pressure on the walls and cause structural damage.

Basements are below grade, so they stay cooler and more humid than the rest of the house, and water that soaks into concrete, block, and drywall at the base of the walls dries slowly. The crew sizes the dehumidification to the space and monitors the walls and floor, not just the open area.

Sump pump failure is a common basement flood cause, so after the dry-out it is worth checking the pump, the discharge line, and the backup power arrangement before the next heavy rain.