What should I do in the first 24 hours after water damage in Austin?

Handle Water and Power First

Find the source and stop it before anything else. If a pipe or a supply line is running, close the house valve; on most Austin lots it sits out by the meter. If the water came in from outside during a Hill Country storm there is nothing to shut off, so the job becomes keeping it out of the rooms it has not reached yet.

Standing water near an outlet, appliance cord, or power strip is an electrical hazard, full stop. Do not step into it to investigate. Go to the panel and kill the breaker feeding that room if you can identify it safely from dry ground. When in doubt, leave the power off entirely until someone qualified checks it.

Photograph Everything First

Once the water and power source are handled, walk every affected room with your phone before you move a single wet item. Photo documentation should include the water line on the walls, the flooring, and any ceiling staining, shot from a few angles so an adjuster can see the full extent later.

Build an inventory list as you go: what got wet, what it was worth, and whether it looks salvageable. Carry valuables and important papers to a dry, elevated spot in the house. This list becomes the backbone of your insurance notification, so don't wait until morning to start it.

Limit Damage Overnight

Central Texas humidity works against you once wet items sit in a closed-up house. Open windows for ventilation where it's safe and dry outside, and run a fan on wet flooring or carpet if you have one. Every hour those materials stay damp raises the odds they can't be saved.

Take photos of every wet item, damaged wall, and pooled area before you touch or move anything. This documentation matters for your insurance notification and for building an inventory list of what was lost. Save your emergency contact numbers, including your carrier's claims line, somewhere you'll actually find them tonight, not just in a browser tab.