Emergency water extraction in central Las Vegas
Emergency water extraction gets standing water out first, because every hour water sits on a floor adds drying time that EPA wants finished within 24 to 48 hours.
Why extraction comes before anything else
Air movers and dehumidifiers dry damp materials. They are slow at removing standing water. Pulling the water out with pumps and extraction tools first takes away most of the load, so the drying that follows can finish inside the window EPA describes, 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth.
Carpet, pad and hard floors
Carpet over pad holds water in two layers. After extraction we check whether the pad can dry in place or should be pulled. Tile and sealed concrete shed water fast but hide it in grout lines and at the wall base. Wood and laminate swell and are the floors most likely to need removal if water sat on them.
When the water came from outside
Water that came in under a door during a storm is flood water, and Ready.gov says floodwater can be contaminated. That changes the job. Porous items it touched are usually removed rather than dried, and the floor is cleaned and treated before drying starts. It also changes the insurance question, which our claim help page covers.
The first hour
| Clock | Action | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 0 min | Get people out of the water | Do not walk or drive through moving water. Ready.gov says six inches of moving water can knock you down and one foot can sweep a car away. |
| 2 min | Stop the source if you safely can | For a pipe, close the main shutoff. LVVWD says it is usually in the front yard near the sewer riser cap, in the garage or at the home's manifold. |
| 5 min | Keep away from wet power | Ready.gov says not to touch electrical equipment that is wet or while you stand in water. Leave the breaker panel alone if the floor around it is wet. |
| 10 min | Call or text (702) 602-9420 | Tell us where the water came from, which rooms are wet and whether it came in from outside. That decides the crew and the gear. |
| 15 min | Photograph everything before it moves | Wide shots of each room, close shots of the water line on walls, and the source. Your insurer will ask for these. |
| 30 min | Lift and separate | Move rugs, boxes and furniture off wet floors. Put foil or wood blocks under furniture legs that must stay. |
| 45 min | Treat flood water as dirty | Floodwater can be contaminated, per Ready.gov. Wear gloves and boots. Keep children and pets out. |
| 60 min | Start the 48 hour clock | EPA says to dry water damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth. Extraction and drying should start inside that window. |
Local numbers behind this page
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| EPA drying window | 24 to 48 hr | U.S. EPA |
| Moving water that can knock you down | 6 in | Ready.gov |
| Moving water that can sweep a car away | 1 ft | Ready.gov |
| Days with 0.50 in of rain or more | 2.3 | NOAA NCEI 1991 to 2020 annual normals |