Water Damage Guides · Drying & Mold

Water Damage in a Home with Children or Pets: Safety First

Water damage is stressful for any household, and it is more stressful when children or pets are part of it. A flooded room that looks like an adventure to a small child, or a puddle that looks like a drinking bowl to a dog, is a hazard to an adult, and the gap between those two views is where the risk sits. Children play on floors, touch surfaces and put their hands to their faces, and pets walk through water and lick their paws, so a room that an adult can avoid without thinking is a room that a child or a pet will walk straight into.

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This guide explains, in general terms, how to keep children and pets safe after water damage: keeping them away from standing and contaminated water, not entering flooded buildings, and calling a professional. No health advice is offered beyond avoiding contact. The water damage restoration page outlines the professional process, and the same steps apply in New Orleans and in Baton Rouge.

Keep children and pets away from standing water

Keep children and pets away from standing water, whatever the source of the water, and keep them out of the rooms where the water is. Standing water can hide hazards under the surface, from sharp debris to electrical dangers, and it can be contaminated even when it looks clear. A child who plays in standing water, or a pet that drinks from it, is in contact with water that an adult would avoid, and the risk is not one that a child or a pet can judge for themselves. Close the doors to the affected rooms where that is practical, and keep children and pets in a clean part of the home until the cleanup is under way.

It is worth thinking about the rooms the family uses every day, because a backup or a flood that affects the kitchen, the bathroom or the main bedroom is a different situation from one that affects a spare room that can be closed off. If the affected rooms cannot be avoided, think about whether the household should spend time elsewhere until a professional has looked at the property, and arrange that before the work begins rather than after it is under way. The sewage cleanup page explains the professional-only handling of contaminated water.

Keep children and pets away from contaminated water

Keep children and pets away from contaminated water in particular, because the risk there is higher and the precautions are stricter. Sewage and floodwater are treated as Category 3 black water, which is grossly contaminated, and the cleanup for contaminated water is professional-only work. A toilet overflow, a sewage backup, or a flood that has brought water into the home should be treated as contaminated until a professional has said otherwise, and the affected rooms should be kept closed to children and pets until the cleanup is complete.

Contaminated water also affects the items it touches, and children and pets are the most likely to come into contact with those items. Toys, bedding, pet bowls and clothing that have been in contaminated water should be left where they are and not handled, because they are contaminated too, and the question of what can be kept and what must be removed is part of the professional assessment. If a child or a pet has come into contact with contaminated water, speak to a medical professional or a veterinarian, and do not look for health advice in a restoration guide.

Water Damage in a Home with Children or Pets: Safety First — Louisiana water damage guide

Do not enter flooded buildings

Do not enter a flooded building, and do not let children or pets enter one either. A flooded building may have structural damage, hidden hazards under the water, and electrical dangers that cannot be seen from the doorway, and entering it puts the person entering at risk in ways that have nothing to do with the water itself. Do not handle electrics in or near standing water, and do not wade through floodwater to reach another part of the house if there is another way round. If a person is at risk, or there is a danger from gas or electrics, call 911 first, then the utility, and leave the property.

The rule applies to rooms where the water is deep enough to hide what is under it, and to any room where the water has reached electrical items. Children should not be sent into a wet room to fetch a toy or a pet, and pets should not be allowed to wander into a flooded area on their own. If it is safe to do so from a dry place, the power can be switched off at the main breaker, and the water can be shut off at the main shut-off, also from a dry place, and only when those can be done without entering the water.

Call a professional, and what to say

Call a professional promptly, and describe what happened as plainly as you can, including whether children or pets have been in the affected area. When the water event occurred, where the water came from, which rooms were affected, and whether the water came from a flood or a sewage backup are the facts that help the response start in the right place, and whether children or pets were exposed is a fact the professional needs to know. A clear description helps the inspection start in the right place, and it helps the professional to plan the cleanup around what the property and the household actually need.

It is also worth noting, when you call, whether the household includes young children, older residents, or anyone with a health concern, because those are matters that shape the precautions for the property, and health questions themselves belong to a medical professional. The flood damage cleanup page covers flood cleanup in general terms, and the mold removal and remediation page covers the mold side of the work that can follow a water loss.

After the cleanup

After the cleanup, the affected area is dried and checked for mold, because damp materials left behind after a water loss can allow growth, and that check is part of finishing the job properly. The drying stage matters as much as the cleaning, because a structure that is cleaned but left damp has not been dealt with fully. Until the operator confirms the work is complete, the affected rooms should be treated as work areas, and children and pets should be kept away from them, because the drying equipment and the materials being dealt with are not things for children or pets to be around.

Keep a record of what happened and what work was done, including photographs and notes, because that record is useful for insurance purposes in general terms and useful if a problem appears later. The same steps apply in Lafayette, Shreveport and Lake Charles and across Louisiana, and the structural drying and dehumidification page explains the drying work.

Key Takeaways

Keep children and pets away from standing water, whatever the source of the water, and keep them out of the rooms where the water is.
Keep children and pets away from contaminated water in particular, because the risk there is higher and the precautions are stricter.
Do not enter a flooded building, and do not let children or pets enter one either.
Call a professional promptly, and describe what happened as plainly as you can, including whether children or pets have been in the affected area.
After the cleanup, the affected area is dried and checked for mold, because damp materials left behind after a water loss can allow growth, and that check is part of finishing the job properly.

Questions About Water Damage in a Home with Children or Pets: Safety First

How do I keep children safe after water damage?

Keep children out of the affected rooms, close the doors where that is practical, and keep them in a clean part of the home until the cleanup is under way. Children play on floors and touch surfaces, so they are more likely to come into contact with the water.

Are pets at risk after water damage?

Yes, in general terms. Pets walk through water, drink from puddles and lick their paws, so keep them out of the affected rooms and in a clean part of the home until a professional has looked at the property.

Should children enter a flooded room to fetch something?

No. Do not enter a flooded building, and do not let children or pets enter one either. A flooded room can hide hazards under the water, and the water may be contaminated.

What should I tell the professional about my family?

Say whether children or pets have been in the affected area, whether the water came from a flood or a sewage backup, and which rooms were affected. That helps the professional plan the cleanup around the household.

Your Next Step

If this guide matches what you found at home, the next step is a visit — not a guess. Call and describe what you found, and the visit is arranged from what you describe. The Emergency Water Removal page explains what that service covers, and the water damage restoration page explains how the full sequence works when water has reached more than one room.

Do not enter flooded rooms while you wait, and if water is leaking, turn off the shut-off valve for that fixture where you can reach it safely from dry ground.

Keep the guides on this site bookmarked: the first guide, the signs guide, and the preparation guide cover the checks worth repeating — after moving in, and after bringing used fixtures home.

Water damage help is available across Louisiana. See water damage restoration in Dixie Inn, LA for one local example, or find your town on the service areas page.