When creek or river water reaches a home in Utah, the first steps are to keep people out of the water, cut the power to affected rooms, photograph the water line and call for help. Outside flood water is muddy and can carry sewage, so it is handled more carefully than a leak from a pipe. The order of these steps protects both people and the building.
Key takeaways
- Keep people and pets out of creek or river water, because it can hide live wiring, debris and sewage.
- Cut the power to affected rooms at the breaker only if you can reach it safely from outside the water.
- Photograph the water line, the silt and each room before anything is moved, since those records support any claim.
- Do not pump a flooded basement quickly, because a fast drop in water level can stress walls and slabs.
- Call a restoration crew early, because silt and wet materials start to hold damage as soon as the water stands.
- Keep the time you first saw the water written down, since the timeline helps the crew and your insurer.
What should I do in the first minutes after creek water arrives?
Move people and pets to higher, dry ground in the building, and keep them clear of the water. Do not walk into moving or standing water, and do not drive through flooded roads to reach the property.
Creek and river water moves with force and can carry debris that you cannot see. A few inches of fast water can knock a person off their feet, and a drain or a window well can hide a deeper hole than the surface shows. Stay on dry ground and let the water settle before anyone approaches the building.
If the water is still rising, leave the building by a route that is above the flood line. Take phones, medication and identification with you if that is safe, and do not stop to move furniture while the water is coming in. The building can be cleaned later. People cannot be replaced.
When is it safe to go back into the house?
Not until the power to the affected area is confirmed off, the water has stopped rising and the building has been checked for structural problems. A house that has been under water can be unstable, and the wiring can be live even when the water looks shallow.
Look at the outside first. Check the foundation for cracks, check whether doors and windows still open, and note any sign that the ground has moved. If you see a crack that is widening or a wall that is leaning, stay out and tell the responding authority or a qualified person.
Inside, the electrical panel is the first thing to consider. If it has been in water, or if the breakers are wet, do not touch it. The utility or a qualified electrician should confirm that the power is safe before anyone enters a room with standing water.
Should I turn off the power myself?
Turn off the power at the breaker only if you can reach the panel without standing in water. If the panel is in water, or you cannot reach it safely, leave the power on and let the utility or an electrician deal with it.
Stand dry and clear of any water when you work at a panel, and use only the switches you can reach without wading. Never reach into a wet panel, and do not use a metal tool near the water to try to flip a breaker.
If you cannot cut the power safely, keep everyone out of the water and call the utility from a safe place. Tell the operator that water is standing in the building and that the panel may be affected. That call is more important than any single step inside the house.
What should I photograph before I move anything?
Photograph the water line on the walls, the silt or mud on the floor, each affected room and any damaged item. The photographs should be taken before anything is cleaned, pumped or moved, because they show the state of the building at the time.
Take a wide shot of each room, then a close one of the water line and the mud. If an item sits in the water, photograph it where it lies, and note the height of the water against a fixed point such as a door frame or a shelf.
Keep the photographs with the date and time they were taken. Those details help any adjuster reconstruct the event, and they show the change over time if the water returns. Write a note alongside the pictures, since a quick description is easier to read later than a set of photographs alone.
Why should I not pump the basement out quickly?
A rapid drop in water level can push on walls and slabs from the outside, because the ground around the building still holds water. Pumping too fast can crack a wall, lift a slab or pull water back in through a crack. A slower pace with readings at each stage is safer.
The ground around a creek-side building can stay saturated for a long time after the water in the room has dropped. If the basement is emptied quickly, the outside pressure can push water back through joints and cracks that were dry a day before.
The restoration crew sets the pace of the pump, based on the level outside and the level inside. It logs each stage, and it stops pumping if the walls show signs of movement. That is the reason to call for help instead of starting the pump yourself.
How does silt change the cleanup?
Silt from creek water settles into carpet, cracks and the gaps around doors, and it stays wet long after the surface looks dry. It also carries whatever was on the ground the water crossed, which is why the cleanup is more careful than for clean water.
Silt is fine and clings to surfaces. A surface cleaner can leave a film behind, and wet silt can hide moisture in the material below. The crew removes it from the floor and the drains, and it checks the wall bases and the cavities where silt often settles.
Silt also changes what can be kept. Porous materials that stood in creek water are often removed, while hard surfaces that can be cleaned to a safe finish may be kept. The technician explains each decision and records it before anything is taken out.
What does the local flood record mean for a Utah property?
Utah's creeks and the Jordan River have overflowed before, and state history and water-rights records describe floods along the Jordan River and a 1983 creek overflow in Salt Lake City. A property near any of those channels should treat creek water as a serious possibility, not a rare event.
The Surplus Canal was first built in 1885 to carry Jordan River overflow, and floods on the river were recorded in 1896 and 1909. Those records are the reason a flood call near the river corridor is treated as a documented risk, even when the water looks modest on arrival.
The 1983 overflow of City Creek toward downtown Salt Lake City shows how quickly creek water can reach buildings in a city. The lesson for a homeowner is practical: know which channel runs nearest the property, and call early if it rises.
What should I write down for the first call?
Write down the time you first saw water, where it came from if you know, which rooms it reached and whether it is still rising. Those four facts help the operator send the right crew and the right equipment.
If the water came from a specific place, such as a window well, a basement door or a drain, say so. If you do not know the source, say that instead. A clear description is more useful than a guess, and the crew will find the source on site.
Keep the notes with the photographs. The notes and the pictures together form the timeline that the crew and your insurer will use, and they help show what happened and when.
What can be done with wet belongings during the first day?
Move dry, valuable items out of the water if you can do it safely, and set wet items where air can reach them. Do not try to dry paper, photographs or upholstered goods in a hot room, because heat can set stains and warp materials.
Paper and photographs should be separated and laid out flat in a cool, dry room, if one is available. Books and documents that are only damp can sometimes be saved with careful drying, but those that have been soaked in silty water are usually better handled by a specialist. Note what you set aside and where it was placed.
Clothing, bedding and children's toys that stood in creek water should be bagged and kept out of the house until a crew has said what can be washed. Washing them in the home machine can spread silt and contamination through the plumbing, so ask before doing it.
Frequently asked questions
Is creek water always dangerous?
Creek water can carry silt, debris, bacteria and sewage, and it can hide live wiring and sharp objects. Treat it as contaminated until a technician has checked it, and keep children and pets out of it.
Should I wait for the water to go down before calling?
No. Call while the water is still present. Silt and wet materials start to hold damage once the water stands, and the crew can plan the first visit around what is happening in the building.
Can I use a household wet vacuum on creek water?
Not while the power to the room is on, and not on silt, because the silt can clog the machine and carry contamination. Wait for the crew, which has equipment rated for the job and the protection to use it.
What if the creek water has already gone down?
Call anyway. Wet materials can keep moisture inside walls and under floors for a long time, and the readings will show whether drying is still needed. Describe the water line and any silt you can still see.
Will my insurer cover creek flood damage?
That depends on your policy and the cause of the loss. Your insurer decides what is covered, and this guide cannot say what will be paid. Keep the photographs, the timeline and the receipts for any emergency measures.
How long should I wait before I throw anything away?
Keep items until the crew and your insurer have seen them. Photograph each item before it is discarded, and keep a list with the date and the room where it was found. Disposal is a decision for the owner, made after the record is complete.
Is it safe to sleep in the home after creek flooding?
Only after the power has been confirmed safe, the structure has been checked and the wet rooms are closed off. Many people stay in the dry rooms while the cleanup runs, but a room with standing water, mud or a sewage smell should not be used until a crew has cleared it.
Should I use sandbags to protect the house?
Sandbags and barriers are a decision for the owner and the local authorities during a flood, and they do not seal a building. Do not place them in moving water, and do not stack them where they can shift. Follow the instructions of the emergency officials in your area.
This guide is general information for Salt Lake County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.