Flooded Home Safety: Power, Gas and CO First

Floodwater and wet electrical systems can hurt you before the water damage does. Do these three things first: leave and call 911 if you smell gas, see smoke or sparks, or anyone has been shocked; stay out of standing water and away from wet electrical equipment; and run any generator or gas-powered tool outdoors, well away from the house.

The first three actions

1. Gas, smoke, sparks or a shock. Leave on foot and call 911 from outside, away from the house. Do not go back for belongings. A gas company or fire department decides when the house is safe to re-enter, not a contractor.

2. Standing water near outlets, appliances or the breaker panel. Stay out. FEMA's Ready.gov says not to touch electrical equipment that is wet or while you are standing in water, and to turn the electricity off only if it is safe to do so. If the panel is in a wet room, do not wade in to reach it. Call your electric utility and ask how to have power shut off safely, or call a licensed electrician.

3. A generator, pump or gas-powered tool. Keep it outdoors. The CDC says never to run a generator inside a home or garage, even with doors and windows open, and to keep it more than 20 feet from windows, doors and vents.

If you suspect a gas leak

The U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) gives these steps for a suspected gas leak: turn off gas appliances, leave the area on foot immediately without trying to find the source, try to get others to leave too, and stay upwind. Then call 911 from a safe location and notify the gas company.

PHMSA also lists what not to do: do not operate valves yourself, do not use a phone while inside, do not turn electrical switches on or off, do not start a vehicle or unplug anything, and do not ring doorbells (knock with your hand instead). A flooded house is a bad place to test any of that. If you are unsure, leave first.

Wet electrical systems

Ready.gov warns that underground or downed power lines can electrically charge floodwater, and advises avoiding wading in it, because it can also be contaminated and hide debris. The CDC says to be prepared to turn off electrical power when there is standing water or fallen power lines, and to unplug appliances so they do not shock anyone when power returns.

Turning power back on is a different decision from turning it off. Ask your electric utility or a licensed electrician whether your system is safe to restore before anyone flips a breaker, and do not run extension cords through standing water.

Carbon monoxide after a storm or flood

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless gas from generators, gas-powered pumps, charcoal and camp stoves. The CDC says to use a generator only outside, more than 20 feet from windows, doors and vents, and to keep a battery-powered or battery-backup CO detector in the home. It also says never to burn charcoal indoors, use a portable gas camp stove indoors, or heat a house with a gas oven, and never to run a car in an attached garage, even with the door open.

CO poisoning can feel like the flu: headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. If several people in the house feel that way at once, go outside into fresh air and call 911.

Cleaning up safely once power and gas are handled

The CDC advises rubber boots and plastic gloves for cleanup and washing hands with soap and water afterward. Floodwater can carry trash and germs, and flooded rooms can hold sewage. For the drying itself, EPA guidance is to dry water-damaged materials within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold, which is why the call to a restoration company should not wait for a long list of preparations once it is safe to be inside.

Before anyone starts work, ask these five questions

1. Has the power to the affected rooms been shut off or confirmed safe by the utility or an electrician? 2. Has anyone smelled gas, and has the gas company cleared the house if so? 3. Is any generator or gas-powered tool running outdoors only? 4. Is there a working CO detector near where people sleep? 5. Has the matched company told you its arrival time and what it will do first?

Then call or text

Once you are out of danger, call or text CFDR at 321-420-7274 and Ryan Solberg matches you with a restoration company. Ask the company for its arrival time before you agree to anything. Photograph the damage from the doorway or a dry spot, not from inside standing water, and keep the photos for your insurer; see the Florida claim guide.

More: water damage emergency steps, who to call after a house fire, storm damage restoration, hurricane prep, and how CFDR matches homes in Orlando and the other eight counties. For fire, gas, electrical or structural danger, call 911 or the utility first; CFDR is a referral service and does not do the work itself.