After a Hill Country Flood: The First 48 Hours and Who to Call

Quick answer: Once authorities say the home is clear to enter, call your insurance company and a water mitigation company that follows IICRC drying standards. Get standing water out and drying started within a day or two, and have the HVAC checked before you run it. Freshening the air with dry fog comes last, once everything is fully dry and repaired.

Why do Hill Country floods need a plan?

Because Hill Country floods arrive fast and leave little time to think. Central Texas sits in what forecasters call Flash Flood Alley. Thin soil, limestone and steep creek beds send heavy rain downhill fast, and a creek that's dry in August can be over its banks in an hour.

When water gets inside a home, the next two days set the tone for everything after. A plan made on a calm day is much easier to follow than one made at 2am with the power out.

Before anything else: is the house OK to enter?

Only when authorities say so, and even then, go in carefully:

• Don't go in until authorities say the area is clear.
• Stay out of standing water if the power is on or you can't tell. Water and electricity don't mix, and outlets and cords may be under the surface.
• Leave the breaker alone unless you can reach the panel while standing somewhere completely dry. Otherwise, call the utility or an electrician.
• Smell gas? Leave and call the gas company from outside.
• Treat floodwater as dirty. It often carries sewage, fuel and chemicals. Wear rubber boots and gloves, and keep kids and pets out.

Who should you call in the first 48 hours?

Call your insurer first, then a water mitigation company, then the HVAC company and any other trades you need, in this order:

1. Your insurance company. Report the claim early and ask what they need. Standard homeowner's policies usually don't cover rising water, so check whether you have a separate flood policy.
2. A water mitigation company. Look for one that follows IICRC standards for water damage. They pump out water, pull wet carpet and pad, set up drying equipment and use moisture meters to track progress.
3. An HVAC company if water reached the air handler, the furnace, floor registers or a return in a closet or garage. Don't run a system that sat in water until it's been checked. Gold Eagle Services can help with that.
4. A licensed electrician or plumber for any damage in their areas.

What should you document before cleanup?

Document everything, before anything gets hauled to the curb. Your insurer will ask for it.

• Take photos and video of every room, the water line on the walls and damaged belongings.
• Keep a list of what you throw away, with photos, for the claim.
• Save receipts for hotels, meals, fans and supplies.

How does drying work?

Drying works by removing what can't be saved, then running equipment until moisture meters read normal. It's also the step that decides how the house smells later. A mitigation company will usually:

• Pull out soaked carpet, pad and anything that can't be dried.
• Cut away wet drywall and insulation from the floor to a line above the water mark, often called a flood cut.
• Run air movers and dehumidifiers for several days.
• Check walls, floors and framing with moisture meters until readings are back to normal.

Dry means measured dry, not just dry to the touch. Ask for the final moisture readings in writing before walls are closed up.

What if you see something growing?

Stop and call the right licensed pro. Materials that stay wet for more than a day or two can start to grow things, and that is not a job for fans or freshening.

Mold in your AC system or ductwork? Call Gold Eagle Services, a licensed Texas mold remediation company that handles HVAC mold, at 512-489-4653. For mold anywhere else in the home, contact an independent state-licensed mold assessor or remediation company.

When does freshening the air fit in?

At the very end, only after everything is dry and repaired. Even after a careful dry-out and rebuild, the smell of the event can hang on in the closets, cabinets and ductwork that were never torn out.

Pure Maintenance Austin's whole-home dry fog treatment reaches those spots. The patented VaPURE system floats a hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid solution through the rebuilt rooms, into cabinets and closets and through the HVAC ductwork without wetting anything, which matters in a house that just spent days drying out. Then a surface protectant goes on. As the fog settles it temporarily reduces airborne particulates, and it helps control the growth of odor-causing microorganisms on treated hard, non-porous surfaces like new cabinet fronts and trim. The whole job takes one day, and you sleep at home that night.

For heavier odors, our Odor Treatment adds an ozone shock treatment and keeps the home empty for up to 48 hours. We don't dry homes, open walls or handle flood cleanup. Our guide to why a room can still smell after a leak is fixed and dried explains what to check first.

Common questions

How soon does drying need to start?

As soon as the home is clear to enter, ideally within 24 to 48 hours. The longer materials stay wet, the more has to be torn out.

Can I just use fans and open windows myself?

For a small spill, maybe. For floodwater, a mitigation company has the pumps, dehumidifiers and moisture meters to know when things are actually dry. Hidden moisture behind walls and under floors is the usual problem.

When can we schedule a dry fog treatment after a flood?

After the drying is confirmed with moisture readings, repairs are finished and any growth has been handled by the right licensed pro. That's the point where freshening makes sense.

What should you do next?

• Save your insurer's claim number and a local water mitigation company in your phone today.
• Photograph your rooms and belongings now, while everything is dry, for a before record.
• Know where your electrical panel and water shutoff are.
• After a flood, follow the order above, and call us only once the house is dry and rebuilt.

Get a free phone consultation

Book a free phone consultation. A Comfort Advisor will call you, learn what's going on in your home and send a written quote based on square footage. Pure Maintenance Austin, brought to you by Gold Eagle Services, serves all of Central Texas, including College Station, Round Rock, Georgetown, San Marcos, Bastrop and Marble Falls.

Call 512-904-4646 or email IAQ@goldeagleservices.com. We're open Monday through Saturday, 7am to 7pm.