What to do if…
you find standing water in your basement or crawl space after heavy rain

What to do now

1. Make it a no-go area. Close the door or hatch if you can, keep children and pets away, and do not enter the basement or crawl space to “just check” while water is present.

2. Check for immediate danger from a dry, safe place. If you see sparks, hear buzzing or crackling, see smoke, see serious sagging or movement, or someone is in immediate danger, leave the area and call 999.

3. If you smell gas, leave and use the gas emergency route. Do not smoke, use flames, or turn electrical switches on or off. Get outside or to fresh air, then call the gas emergency number for your part of the UK. For natural gas, this is 0800 111 999 in England, Wales and Scotland, and 0800 002 001 in Northern Ireland. Call 999 as well if there is a fire, explosion risk, or immediate danger to life.

4. Make electricity safe only if you can do it without going near water.

   • If you can reach the consumer unit or main switch from a dry, safe place, switch the power off.
   • If the consumer unit, meter area, sockets, or any electrical equipment may be wet, do not touch them.
   • Contact a registered electrician. If you need help with an electricity emergency or the incoming supply, contact the electricity network operator: in Great Britain you can call 105, and in Northern Ireland contact NIE Networks on 03457 643 643.

5. Stop more water entering only if there is a simple safe action.

   • If water is coming through a doorway, air brick, lightwell, or window and you can act without wading, use towels, boards, sandbags, or temporary barriers.
   • If you suspect a plumbing leak as well as rainwater, turn off the stopcock only if you can reach it without stepping into water.

6. Record what you can see without entering the water. Take photos or video of the water depth, the likely entry points, the water line on walls or steps, wet sockets or appliances, affected boiler or utility areas, and damaged items.

7. Contact the right people for the cause you can see.

   • Contact your home insurer, or your landlord or letting agent if you rent, to log the incident and ask what emergency drying, cleanup, or restoration they want you to use.
   • Contact a registered electrician before using any mains-powered equipment in or near the flooded area.
   • If drains, toilets, or sinks are backing up, or the water smells of sewage, contact your wastewater company.
   • If water is coming from a flooded road, blocked roadside drain, or ditch, report it to your local council or highways authority.
   • For wider flood information, check the official flood-warning service for your part of the UK.

8. Reduce damage from outside the wet area while you wait. Use a battery torch. Move valuables, chemicals, paperwork, and cardboard boxes away from the access point or to a higher floor only if you can do this without stepping into water.

9. Treat the water as contaminated unless you are sure it is clean. Avoid splashing it on your face. If you must handle wet items from the edge of the area, wear waterproof gloves and boots, then wash your hands well.

10. Remove water slowly and only when the situation is stable. Do not use a wet vacuum, pump, dehumidifier, or extension lead until the electrics have been made safe. Stop and get professional advice if cracks appear, the floor or walls move, or the water keeps rising.