# What to Do Immediately After Water Damage: First 24 Hours

> A step-by-step checklist for the first hours after a leak, burst pipe, or flood: stop the water, stay safe, document the damage, call your insurer, and start drying.

URL: https://northcarolinawaterdamage.us/guides/what-to-do-after-water-damage/

**Short answer:** Stop the water at the main shutoff, keep away from electricity and sagging ceilings, photograph everything before you move it, report the loss to your insurer, and get standing water extracted and drying started within 24 to 48 hours, the window the EPA gives for preventing mold.

[North Carolina Water Damage](/) is a referral service that connects North Carolina homeowners with participating independent restoration companies. Whether you call anyone or not, these are the steps that limit damage and protect your insurance claim, in the order they matter.

## 1. Stop the water

Find the source and shut it off.

- **Plumbing leak or burst pipe:** close the main shutoff valve. In North Carolina homes it's commonly in the crawl space where the line enters, in a utility closet or garage, or under the kitchen sink. The meter box near the street has a shutoff too.
- **Appliance:** close the supply valve behind the washing machine, dishwasher, toilet, or ice maker.
- **Water heater:** close the cold-water inlet valve on top and turn off the gas or the breaker.
- **Roof leak:** put a bucket under it and, if water is pooling in a sagging ceiling, keep everyone out from under it.
- **Flooding from outside:** you can't stop it. Get to safety and follow local officials' instructions.

## 2. Make it safe

Water and electricity are the biggest immediate danger.

- Don't walk through standing water near outlets, cords, or appliances that are plugged in.
- Turn off power at the breaker panel **only** if you can reach it without standing in water. Otherwise call your power company.
- Stay out from under wet, sagging ceilings. Soaked drywall can collapse.
- If you smell gas, leave and call the gas company from outside.
- After a flood, the [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/floods/safety/reentering-your-flooded-home-safety.html) warns against using generators or other gas-powered equipment indoors because of carbon monoxide.

## 3. Document everything before you clean

Your photos are the best evidence your claim will have.

- Take wide shots of each room and close-ups of damaged materials and belongings.
- Photograph the **source**: the split pipe, the failed supply line, the water heater, the roof damage.
- For flooding, photograph the **waterline** on walls.
- Video a slow walkthrough with your phone, narrating what you see.
- Keep damaged items until your adjuster says you can discard them, or photograph them first if they're a health hazard.

## 4. Call your insurance company

Report the loss as soon as you can. Ask:

- Is the cause covered under my policy? (A sudden burst pipe usually is. Flood is not under a homeowners policy.)
- What's my deductible?
- Do I need approval before mitigation starts, and is there any limit on it?
- Will an adjuster inspect, and when?

North Carolina's insurance regulations set deadlines for insurers to acknowledge and investigate claims. Our [insurance guide](/guides/does-homeowners-insurance-cover-water-damage-nc/) covers them.

## 5. Get water out and drying started

This is the step that decides whether a $2,000 problem becomes a $10,000 one. The [EPA advises](https://www.epa.gov/mold/brief-guide-mold-moisture-and-your-home) drying water-damaged materials within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth.

- **Small clean-water spills** on hard floors: mop, towel, and run fans.
- **Anything larger** (wet carpet, water under flooring or in walls, a wet crawl space, any sewage or floodwater) calls for professional [emergency water removal](/emergency-water-removal/) and [structural drying](/structural-drying/).

While you wait:

- Move furniture, rugs, electronics, and papers off wet floors.
- Put aluminum foil or blocks under furniture legs that can't be moved.
- Open closet and cabinet doors to let air circulate.
- Run your air conditioning to pull humidity down, unless the HVAC system itself got wet.
- Don't use a household vacuum on water, and don't turn on ceiling fixtures if the ceiling is wet.

## 6. Know what you're dealing with

How dirty the water is changes what's safe to do yourself. Under the [IICRC S500 standard](https://iicrc.org/s500/):

| Category | Source | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| 1 – Clean | Supply lines, faucets, rain | Safe to start cleanup yourself if it's small |
| 2 – Gray | Washer, dishwasher, toilet overflow (urine only) | Wear gloves; porous materials may need removal |
| 3 – Black | Sewage, river or creek flooding, storm surge | Don't handle without protective gear; porous materials generally come out |

If floodwater came in from outside, read [water damage vs. flood damage](/guides/water-damage-vs-flood-damage/) before you call your insurer, because the claim goes to a different policy.

## 7. Keep records as the job goes on

- Get a written estimate before work beyond emergency extraction starts.
- Ask the restoration company for daily moisture readings and photos.
- Save receipts for anything you buy and any hotel or meal costs if you have to leave.
- Keep a log of every call with your insurer: date, person, and what was said.

## Quick answers

**Should I call my insurance company or a restoration company first?**

Either order works, but don't wait on the adjuster to start mitigation. Report the claim, then get water extraction and drying started. Most policies expect you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, and prompt drying is exactly that. Keep every receipt.

**Can I stay in the house after water damage?**

Often yes for a clean-water leak confined to part of the house. Leave if there's sewage or floodwater in living areas, the power or HVAC is out, a ceiling is sagging, or you smell gas. Many homeowners policies include additional living expenses if the home isn't livable.

**What should I throw away after water damage?**

Anything that touched sewage or floodwater and can't be cleaned and disinfected, including food, mattresses, upholstered furniture, and carpet pad. Photograph items before you discard them, and keep a sample of carpet and pad if your insurer asks for one.

Referral disclosure: North Carolina Water Damage is a referral service. We connect callers with participating independent restoration companies; we do not perform restoration work ourselves. Phone: (980) 217-5532.