After a heavy rain flood in Louisiana, the first steps are safety, stopping more water if it is safe, photographing the damage before anything is moved and calling for a crew. March 2016, when more than 20 inches of rain fell across northwest Louisiana in a few days, is the local case for how fast this can happen.
Key takeaways
- The first priority after a heavy rain flood is safety: keep out of standing and moving water and keep the power off in wet areas.
- Photograph the damage, the source and the water line before anything is moved, cleaned or thrown out.
- Drying starts only after the standing water is removed and the entry is traced; drying before that can spread moisture.
- Keep a dated timeline and a drying log from the first day, because the insurer will ask for them.
- Storm water can enter through the ground, the openings and the roof, and each route needs a different fix.
- The Louisiana Department of Insurance is the complaint route for claim questions, and this guide quotes no deadline or limit.
What happened in March 2016, and why does it matter here?
More than 20 inches of rain fell across northwest Louisiana in a few days in March 2016. The rise forced more than 3,500 families out of their homes across the region, and Bossier City neighborhoods were flooded by the rain itself.
Rain of that kind does not need a river crest to flood a house. Water runs across the ground faster than the drains can take it, collects on low ground and enters through foundations, sills and vents.
The local record is the reason to take heavy rain seriously. A homeowner who sees water rising outside, even with the river quiet, should treat the event as a flood and begin the first steps below.
What is the first thing to do when water comes in?
Keep yourself out of standing and moving water. Turn off power to the affected area only if the panel is dry and you can reach it safely. If the panel or the outlets are in water, leave the power alone and call.
Do not walk through water that is moving, even if it looks shallow. Moving water can knock a person over and can hide debris, holes and downed lines.
If it is safe to do so, move the nearest valuables up off the floor and close the door to the wet room to slow the spread. Then call (833) 490-5225, describe where the water is and say whether it is still coming in.
Why photograph everything before cleaning up?
Photographs taken before anything is moved are the strongest early record of the damage. They show the source, the depth, the rooms affected and the condition of the items, and they cannot be made later.
Take wide shots of each room and close-ups of each item, with a note of the date and the location. Photograph the outside of the house as well, including the water line on the foundation and any gap where water may have come in.
Do not wipe a stain, remove a board or throw out an item until it has been photographed and listed. If something must be moved for safety, photograph it first.
Photograph the water line on furniture, walls and appliances, and include a common object such as a coin or a ruler in the frame for scale. A photograph that shows how high the water reached is often more persuasive than a written description, and it costs nothing to take.
When does drying start, and why not before the water is gone?
Drying starts after the standing water is removed, the entry route is traced and the readings are taken. Starting drying earlier can spread moisture into rooms that are still dry, and it can hide the water that has reached the framing.
The crew reads the wall bottoms, the subfloor and the crawl space before it sets equipment. The readings show where the drying must be concentrated and where the water has gone.
Once drying starts, it continues until the structure reaches the dry goal the crew has set. The house is ready for repair only after the readings have stayed at that goal across more than one check.
Lightly wet materials can often be kept, and the crew will say which ones. A material that is left damp under the wrong conditions can swell or grow mold, so the readings should guide each decision rather than the look of the surface.
What about the power, the appliances and the gas?
Electrical and gas hazards come before any other step. Keep electrical outlets and fixtures in wet areas switched off until they have been checked, and do not run a gasoline generator indoors or in an enclosed garage.
If the gas smells, leave the house and call the gas company from outside. Do not use a switch or an appliance in the house while the smell is present.
Appliances that were in water should be left switched off until a technician has checked them. A refrigerator or freezer that was flooded should be assessed before its food is eaten.
Ask a qualified electrician to check the panel and the wiring before the power is restored to any flooded area. Power that comes back on through a wet circuit can damage equipment and create a shock hazard, so a check is worth its cost even when the lights seem to work.
Which records should I keep from the first day?
Keep a dated timeline, the photographs, a list of damaged items with approximate ages, receipts for emergency measures, and every letter or email from the insurer. Add the crew's drying log and readings as they arrive.
The timeline should say when the water was found, what was happening, who was called, when the crew arrived and what it did. A timeline that is kept as the events happen is much easier to defend than one reconstructed later.
Store paper records and digital copies in separate places. A claim file that is lost in one place is still whole in the other.
Keep the receipts for any sandbags, pumps, tarps or temporary repairs, with the date and the place you bought them. Those items are emergency measures, and a claim file may ask about them.
When should I call a crew, and what should I say?
Call as soon as the water has come in, even if it is still coming in. Give the address and ZIP, say where the water is, whether it is moving and whether anyone is in the affected rooms. Calls are answered 24/7.
The person who answers will ask the questions that let the crew plan the first visit. Tell them everything that has changed since the water was first noticed, because that helps the crew bring the right equipment.
No arrival time is promised over the phone, because the timing depends on what is already in progress. A crew is sent as soon as one is free.
If you are unsure whether the house is safe to enter, do not enter it. Say so on the phone, and ask the person who answers what to do while you wait. The crew can often advise on the first steps and plan its visit from what you describe.
What if the water comes back in the next storm?
If the water returns, the entry route has not been closed. The crew traces the path from the wet rooms back to the outside, and the repair closes it. Drying alone will not stop the next storm from finding the same route.
The entry route may be a vent, a sill, a gap at the foundation, a door threshold or a roof path. Each one needs its own fix, and the crew's report names the route it found.
Ask for the report in writing, and ask the repair contractor to confirm in writing that the route has been closed. That record matters to the insurer and to any future claim.
Keep a note of the weather for the storm that brought the water in, including any rainfall figure you can read from a local source. Put it in the timeline beside the entry point, so the record shows what caused the entry and when.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first if water is coming into my house right now?
Get out of the way of the water, keep children and pets clear of it, and turn off power to the affected area only if the panel is dry and reachable. Call (833) 490-5225 and say where the water is coming in. Calls are answered 24/7.
Is it safe to walk through a flooded street to reach my car?
No, not if the water is moving or deep. Moving water can carry a person away and can hide holes and debris. Wait until the water has gone down and the road has been checked.
How long should I wait before I start cleaning?
Do the safety steps first, photograph the damage, and wait for the crew to measure before you remove wet materials you are not sure about. Cleaning hard surfaces can start once the photographs are taken and the water is out.
Does a rain flood have to go through my insurance?
Whether it is covered depends on the policy wording and the insurer. This guide cannot say what any policy pays. Keep the records and ask the insurer to explain the water sections in writing.
Where can I complain if my insurer does not answer clearly?
The Louisiana Department of Insurance is the complaint route for claim questions. This guide does not set out deadlines, limits or statutes, so ask the regulator how the process works and what it needs from you.
Will a crew dry the house if the water has already gone?
Often yes, if moisture remains in the walls, the subfloor or the crawl space. The crew reads the building and dries it to readings, even when the surface looks dry. A drying visit is planned from those readings.
Can sandbags keep the water out?
Sandbags can divert shallow water in some places, but they do not stop water that is already inside, and placed wrongly they can hold moisture against a wall. Ask the local office or the crew before you rely on them, and keep the receipts.
Is it safe to stay in the house during a flood clean-up?
It depends on the water, the power, the air and the state of the rooms you use. If there is standing water, a smell of gas, sewage or smoke, or any sign of structural damage, leave until the house has been checked. Ask the crew and the local emergency office for advice on the specific rooms.
Sources
This guide is general information for Bossier Parish homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.