What to do in the first 24 hours after water damage

Stay safe and stop the water first

If it is safe to do so, turn off the water at the fixture or main, and switch off power to clearly affected areas. Do not step into water where you are not sure about electrical safety.

Protect what you can

Move furniture, rugs and personal items out of wet areas if you can do it safely. The goal is to keep damage from spreading to things that have not been hit yet.

Start simple documentation

Take photos and short videos of the affected areas from different angles. This helps you remember what happened and can be useful later when planning repairs.