Stay out of water near electricity
Do not enter standing water to reach a breaker, outlet, appliance, vehicle charger or pump. Do not touch wet electrical equipment. Call emergency services for an immediate threat to life and contact the appropriate utility or qualified specialist for electrical hazards. Keep residents, children and pets away. EPA warns that flooding can create electrical and other physical hazards that must be addressed before cleanup.
Do not assume the water is clean
Floodwater may contain sewage, chemicals or other contamination that is not obvious from its appearance. Avoid direct contact and do not begin handling soaked materials without an appropriate assessment. Tell the responder whether a drain backed up, nearby streets flooded or water entered from an unknown source. These observations help determine the right response, but they do not establish the contamination category by themselves.
Document without entering the garage
From a safe position, record when water appeared, whether the level is rising and where inflow is visible. Photograph the threshold and affected areas only if accessible without entering water or an unstable area. Save the time and weather information. Do not move electrical equipment, open wet cabinets or walk through the water to improve a photograph.
Separate pumping from the full recovery
Ask what a proposed water-removal service includes and what it excludes. Pumping does not establish that the space is dry, electrically safe or ready for finish repairs. Drying, moisture checks, removal of damaged materials, contamination cleanup and permanent source correction can require different scopes or specialists. Confirm the intended discharge route before work; moving water elsewhere without a suitable plan can create another problem.
Investigate the route after immediate hazards
Once access is safe, review possible entry routes such as driveway flow, threshold conditions, roof runoff and drainage connections. A garage-door seal alone may not address the source. Keep temporary response work separate from a proposal for grading, drainage, waterproofing or finish restoration. Ask how findings will be photographed and how the owner will approve any permanent repair.
Plan the next step
Send AWC the property address, safe wide and close photos, a short history and the name of the person approving the work. When site verification is needed, AWC offers the $250 Site Evaluation + Written Bid Package, credited toward the project if approved within 30 days. Ask for a written scope that separates observed conditions, assumptions, exclusions and concealed unknowns before authorizing the repair.