If this is an emergency, call 911. If you have been told to evacuate, go. For current warnings in Orange County see the National Weather Service. For alerts and preparedness information see Cal OES.
Water in Your House: What to Do First
If anyone is in danger, call 911. If you have been told to evacuate, go. Everything below assumes you are safe and the house is not.
1. Stay out of the water
Do not walk into standing water if there is any chance it is in contact with electricity. Ready.gov's guidance on floods is to avoid walking or driving through floodwater, and to never touch electrical equipment while wet or standing in water. If you need to reach the electrical panel and that means crossing water, do not. Call an electrician or your utility.
Floodwater that came in from outside is contaminated regardless of how it looks. The CDC has guidance on floodwater safety and on returning home safely after a flood.
2. Electricity
If you can reach your panel safely and without stepping in water, shut off power to the affected areas. If you cannot, leave it and call Southern California Edison or an electrician.
3. Gas, and this one matters
Do not shut off your gas as a precaution.
Shut it off only if you smell gas, hear hissing, or are told to by the fire department or the gas company. The reason is practical: once the gas is off at the meter, only the utility may safely turn it back on and relight your appliances, and after a regional storm that can take days. Turning it off when you did not need to can leave your family without heat or hot water in the middle of winter.
If you do smell gas, leave the building first and call from outside.
4. Water
If the water is coming from inside the house, shut off the main. It is usually at the street side of the property or near the water heater, and it needs a quarter turn to a half turn. If you have never found yours, this is the thing to go and locate on a dry day.
If the water is coming from outside, the main will not help.
5. Document everything, before you move anything
Photograph each affected room before cleanup starts. The water line on the walls. Under the furniture. Inside the closets and cabinets. Photograph the floors specifically.
This takes five minutes and it is the difference between a claim that is straightforward and one that is an argument.
6. Get the water out and the air moving
Standing water first, with whatever you have. Then open windows if the weather allows, and run fans. Lift what you can off the floor: furniture legs onto blocks or foil, rugs up, anything stored on the floor moved.
For anything beyond a small clean-water spill, call a water extraction company tonight rather than tomorrow. Household fans move air across the surface; they do not pull moisture out of a subfloor. Look for a company that does extraction and structural drying around the clock.
7. What not to do
- Do not use a household vacuum on water.
- Do not turn on ceiling fixtures if the ceiling is wet.
- Do not start pulling up flooring tonight; it rarely helps and it can make the insurance conversation worse.
- Do not throw anything away until it has been photographed.
- Do not sign anything with a contractor who knocked on your door.
Tomorrow
Call your insurer and report it. Keep drying. Then read which floors survive water, because the answer varies more than most people expect, and it will shape what you do next.
When the house is dry, we handle the repair. US Floor Design Center, 949-589-9226. We are a licensed, bonded and insured California contractor.
Official sources
For preparedness and flood safety: Ready.gov Floods, Cal OES, Listos California, and the American Red Cross. For health and returning home: the CDC.
Questions we get asked
Should I turn off my gas during a flood?
Only if you smell gas, hear hissing, or are instructed to by the fire department or the gas company. Once gas is shut off at the meter, only the utility should restore it and relight appliances, which after a regional event can take days.
Is it safe to walk through water in my house?
Not if there is any chance of contact with electricity, and not if the water came in from outside, which is contaminated regardless of appearance. Ready.gov advises against walking through floodwater.
Where is my water shutoff valve?
Usually at the street side of the property near the meter, or inside near the water heater. It takes a quarter to a half turn. Find it on a dry day rather than during an emergency.
Should I call my insurance company first or a restoration company first?
Start the drying first. Most policies expect you to mitigate further damage, and mold can begin within 24 to 48 hours per the CDC. Document thoroughly, get extraction started, and report the claim as soon as you reasonably can.
Do you provide emergency water extraction?
No. We are a restoration and flooring contractor. We can refer you to companies that do extraction and drying around the clock, and we handle repairs once your home is dry.
How do I know if the water is contaminated?
If it came in from outside across the ground, treat it as contaminated. It has crossed streets, soil and drains regardless of how clear it looks. The CDC has guidance on floodwater and on cleaning up safely.
US Floor Design Center. 30092 Santa Margarita Parkway, Suite G, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688. 949-589-9226.
Licensed, bonded and insured California contractor. Verify any contractor’s license at cslb.ca.gov before you hire them.
We provide written estimates and photographic documentation of damage. We do not negotiate insurance claims or advise on coverage, which requires a public adjuster license. We will never offer to pay, waive or absorb an insurance deductible, which is unlawful in California.
This page last reviewed October 6, 2026. Safety information is sourced from Cal OES, Ready.gov, the American Red Cross and the CDC and links to those agencies directly. It is general information and does not replace instructions from emergency services.