Check the Exterior of the Home
Before you venture into the house for any reason, first examine the exterior to make sure there are no major problems with the structure and there are no gas leaks or downed power lines nearby. You need to proceed very carefully.
If there is standing water outside the house and the front doorway / first floor is till flooded, do not enter the home. Assuming the flood water has receded, examine the foundation of the house and all structural supports for porches, etc. If anything looks damaged then call a building inspector. You do not want to enter an unsafe structure.
If the home's structure checks out as safe and intact, then let's go inside and turn off the utilities...Basically you want to do the following before proceeding to remove water from a flooded basement:
- Ensure the water has subsided and gone down
- Check for downed power lines and report any to the utility
- Check for any gas or fuel leaks and report any to the utility
- Check the home for any possible damage to the structure.
- Turn off electrical power
- Turn off natural gas, propane or fuel oil valves
