Water Damage Guides · Flood & Storm Damage

Water Damage Restoration After a Storm in Louisiana

A storm can bring water into a home in several ways at once: heavy rain through a damaged roof, wind-driven rain through windows and walls, rising water from outside, and a power failure that stops a pump or a system that was keeping water out. The result is often a house that is wet in more than one place, with damage that is harder to trace than a single leak. The restoration process is the same as for any other water loss, but the first steps matter more, because the house may still be unsafe and the weather may still be active.

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This guide explains storm water intrusion in general terms, the safety-first approach, and what the restoration process covers. It makes no claim about any particular place's storm history or flood risk. Homeowners in New Orleans and Monroe face the same first steps, and the water damage restoration page explains what a professional visit generally covers.

Storm water intrusion in general terms

Storm water enters a house in general terms through the roof, the walls, the windows and the ground. Heavy rain can find its way through a damaged roof, a failed flashing, or a tile that has lifted. Wind can drive rain through a window seal, a door frame or a gap in the wall. Rising water can enter through doorways, vents and low openings, and it can rise into a crawl space or a lower level. A power failure can stop a system that was keeping water out, and the water that follows can be the first sign that something has failed.

The water that enters during a storm is often a mix: rainwater from above, and water from outside that may be contaminated. It should be treated with caution, and the rooms it has touched should be treated as contaminated until they have been properly cleaned. The damage is often spread across the house, because the storm did not enter through one point. It entered through several, and the inspection has to trace each one. That is why the inspection matters more after a storm than after a single leak: there is more to find, and more to miss.

Safety first

Safety comes before any restoration work after a storm. Do not enter a flooded building, do not return to a house that has been evacuated until you have been told it is safe to do so, and do not touch electrical items in or near standing water. Check the outside of the house from a safe distance for structural damage, a shifted foundation, a sagging roofline, or gas and electrical damage. If you smell gas, leave the area and call 911 first, then the gas utility. If the weather is still active, wait. No restoration work is worth doing in a storm.

Do not climb onto the roof to look for damage, and do not climb into the attic above a wet ceiling. Do not use a ladder in high wind or on wet ground. The roof is a roofing matter, and its scope needs to be verified with a roofing professional once the weather has cleared. Your part is to stay safe, to keep everyone out of the wet and damaged rooms, and to call for help once it is safe to do so. The emergency water removal page describes the removal step that follows an inspection.

Water Damage Restoration After a Storm in Louisiana — Louisiana water damage guide

What the restoration process covers

The restoration process after a storm follows the usual sequence: inspection, water removal, drying, cleaning and repair. The inspection traces where the water entered and how far it has spread, including into walls, under floors and above ceilings, and the readings show where the moisture is. Water removal takes out the standing water, and drying follows, using air movement and dehumidification, with progress checked by moisture readings over successive visits. Cleaning and repair follow once the structure is dry.

Some materials may need to be removed rather than dried: soaked drywall, saturated insulation and carpet that has been in contaminated water are common examples, and that decision is made from what the inspection and the readings show. The roof itself is a separate matter, and it should be made watertight before the interior is dried and repaired, or the next rain will undo the work. The structural drying and dehumidification page explains the drying step in general terms, and the flood damage cleanup page describes the sequence that follows a flood.

No per-place storm-history or flood-risk claim

This guide makes no claim about any particular place's storm history or flood risk. Storms and flooding are described here in general terms only, and whether any particular place has been affected by a storm, how often, or how badly, are matters for the place itself, not for a general guide. No flood-zone claim is made here, and no statement is made about the flood risk of any particular property or area. If you need to know the flood risk of a property, the relevant authorities are the ones to ask.

For homes in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, as across Louisiana, the first steps after a storm are the same: safety first, do not enter until it is safe, document what you see, and call a professional. The storm is over when the weather clears. The restoration is over when the readings say the house is dry, and the two are not the same moment.

After the weather clears

Once the weather has cleared, the work can begin, but it should not be rushed. Wait until it is safe to enter the house, and do not return to an evacuated house until you have been told it is safe to do so. When you do enter, take photographs of every room before anything is moved, note the water line on the walls, and write a short list of the rooms affected and the items damaged. Check the outside of the house from a safe distance for structural damage, and do not climb onto the roof or into the attic to look for damage yourself.

Call a water damage restoration professional once the house is safe to enter, and describe what happened in plain terms: how the water entered, which rooms were affected, and what you can see now. The professional will inspect the house, trace where the water went, and explain the next steps. For homes in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, the flood damage cleanup page describes the sequence that follows a flood, and the hours after the weather clears are the ones that set the job on its proper course.

Key Takeaways

Storm water enters a house in general terms through the roof, the walls, the windows and the ground.
Safety comes before any restoration work after a storm.
The restoration process after a storm follows the usual sequence: inspection, water removal, drying, cleaning and repair.
This guide makes no claim about any particular place's storm history or flood risk.
Once the weather has cleared, the work can begin, but it should not be rushed.

Questions About Water Damage Restoration After a Storm in Louisiana

What should I do first after storm water enters my home?

Safety first: do not enter a flooded building, do not touch electrical items in standing water, and do not return to an evacuated house until you have been told it is safe. Once it is safe, document the damage, and call a water damage restoration professional.

Can I climb on the roof to check storm damage?

No. Do not climb onto the roof or into the attic above a wet ceiling, especially in bad weather. The roof is a roofing matter, and its scope needs to be verified with a roofing professional once the weather has cleared.

Is storm water the same as floodwater?

Storm water can be a mix of rainwater and water from outside that may be contaminated, and it should be treated with caution. Rooms it has touched should be treated as contaminated until they have been properly cleaned by a professional.

Does the roof need to be fixed before the interior is dried?

Yes. The roof should be made watertight before the interior is dried and repaired, or the next rain will undo the work. The roof repair is a roofing matter to be verified with a roofing professional.

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 Hammond, LA for one local example, or find your town on the service areas page.