What to do if…
stormwater is pooling against your foundation and rising toward entry points

What to do now

1. Get to a safer pause and scan for hazards.
   Keep children and pets away from pooling water, exterior outlets, AC units, basement windows, window wells, the electrical service, and any downed wires. Put on sturdy shoes or boots.

2. Find the main inflow and the first likely entry point.
   Look for downspouts dumping next to the wall, clogged yard drains, runoff down a driveway, water rising at door thresholds, basement stairwells, garage door gaps, vents, and window wells.

3. Clear easy blockages only if you can reach them from dry, stable ground.
   Remove leaves or debris from grates, gutter outlets, downspout exits, and nearby surface drains. Stop if water is deep, fast-moving, near electricity, or pulling debris toward a drain.

4. Redirect water away from the foundation.

   • Point downspouts farther from the house using an extension, splash block, hose, or temporary repositioning.
   • Use boards, plastic sheeting, soil bags, gravel bags, or sandbags to make a low temporary diversion that sends water away from doors, window wells, and the garage threshold.
   • If the water is shallow and safe, use a push broom, squeegee, or shovel to move water away from thresholds and garage seams.
   • Do not dig near utility lines, electrical equipment, or fast-moving water.

5. Slow water at the lowest entry points.
   Prioritize exterior doors, the garage threshold, basement or cellar doors, window wells, vents, and low gaps. Use flood barriers or door shields if you already have them. If not, use heavy plastic sheeting, towels or blankets as a compressible seal, then brace with a board and weight it securely.

6. Protect people first, then urgent belongings.
   Move medications, documents, phones, chargers, laptops, and essential items upstairs or onto high shelving. If water is already indoors, take quick photos or video from a safe, dry place before moving items, but do not delay safety steps.

7. Handle electricity from a dry location only.
   If you have standing water indoors and can turn off power at the main breaker from a dry, safe place, do so. If you would have to step into water to reach the panel, do not attempt it; call a licensed electrician or your utility emergency line for guidance.

8. Use a backwater valve only if it is meant for manual use.
   If you already have a sewer backwater valve, it is designed for manual closure, and you can reach it from a dry area, follow the valve’s own instructions. Do not force plumbing parts or attempt plumbing changes while water is rising.

9. Escalate when the situation is bigger than a safe temporary response.
   If water is rising rapidly, someone is trapped, there are downed wires, or there is immediate danger to life, call 911. If water is entering but no one is in immediate danger, contact your insurer or flood-insurance carrier, if you have one, and ask about emergency mitigation steps and approved vendors. If public drainage or streets are flooding, contact your city or county public works department or local emergency management.

10. Treat floodwater as potentially contaminated.
    Keep cuts covered, wash hands after contact, and keep children and pets away from standing water. If you smell gas or suspect a gas leak, leave the area and call your gas utility or 911 from outside.