When can you return to a flooded building?

Pass two separate gates

Returning requires two different answers.

Gate 1: May people return to the area?

Use the current instruction from the local emergency-management, public-safety, or other responsible authority. Roads, neighborhoods, evacuation zones, and disaster areas may remain closed after water recedes.

Gate 2: May this person enter this building?

An area reopening is not a building inspection. If the home has damage, CDC advises waiting until a building inspector has examined it for safety. The property owner or manager, building official, fire service, utility, electrician, engineer, or another qualified professional may need to address hazards at the specific structure.

Renters should obtain the owner or manager's access instructions in addition to following public restrictions. An owner's permission does not overrule a public closure or make damaged utilities safe.

Stop outside when a building-specific hazard is possible

Do not enter when any of these is present or reasonably suspected:

• a shifted foundation, leaning wall, sagging roof or ceiling, missing support, new large crack, jammed door, or other structural movement;
• standing water near outlets, cords, panels, appliances, pumps, or electrical equipment;
• downed service lines or damaged electrical equipment;
• gas odor, hissing, a damaged tank or line, or an unexplained alarm;
• fire, smoke, heat, or a carbon-monoxide alarm;
• leaking, unlabeled, or disturbed chemical containers;
• active floodwater, unstable ground, debris, or an unsafe access route; or
• an official placard, closure, condemnation, or inspection requirement.

Move away and contact the responsible emergency service, utility, building authority, property manager, or qualified professional. Do not enter to investigate the source yourself.

Electricity and standing water require a qualified boundary

If standing water is inside and the main power can be turned off from a dry location by a person authorized and able to do so, follow the current utility or local instruction. If reaching the control requires entering water, call an electrician or the utility.

Never turn power on or off while standing in water. Have the electrical system evaluated before power is restored after flooding. Do not treat a dark building as de-energized.

If gas is smelled or heard, leave immediately without operating lights, switches, appliances, or a phone inside. Contact the gas utility or emergency service from outside. Do not return until they say the gas hazard is resolved.

Make the first permitted entry brief

When area access is permitted and no unresolved building-specific hazard requires a professional first:

• enter during daylight if possible;
• use a battery flashlight, not a candle, match, torch, or gas lantern;
• wear sturdy waterproof boots, gloves, eye protection, clothing that covers skin, and other protective equipment the current cleanup guidance requires;
• keep children, pets, and people who should not be exposed to mold, sewage, chemicals, or debris away from the initial inspection;
• maintain a clear exit and leave immediately if conditions change; and
• photograph visible damage only from safe positions before moving or cleaning items.

Entry for inspection or documentation is not permission to sleep in or reoccupy the building. Cleanup, mold remediation, water and sanitation, fire protection, HVAC, and utility restoration may require separate work and clearance.

Do not begin cleanup from this article

This article decides whether entry can begin. It does not teach demolition, pumping, mold removal, sewage cleanup, chemical handling, generator use, or utility restoration.

After the entry decision and the appropriate insurer, authority, and professional contacts, consult the EPA Flooded Homes Cleanup Guidance linked in Sources. Cleanup may still require qualified help.

Do not

• Do not return because a map, alert, or social post appears clear without an official local return instruction.
• Do not treat an area all-clear as a building safety certificate.
• Do not enter to discover whether a gas, electrical, chemical, or structural hazard exists.
• Do not touch electrical equipment or operate a switch while standing in water.
• Do not use an open flame for light.
• Do not bring children or pets into the initial inspection.
• Do not confuse entry, cleanup, and reoccupation.
• Do not treat entry as permitted until the required authority or professional has cleared the relevant hazard.

Next action

Confirm that local authorities permit return to the area. From outside, check for structural, electrical, gas, fire, chemical, water, and access hazards. If any is present or uncertain, contact the responsible professional, utility, owner, or authority before entering.