If you come home and your house is flooding, due to natural causes or become someone left the water running, the first thing you need to do is focus on your safety. As soon as you recognize that your house is flooding, you need to take the following steps:

Determine The Cause Of The Flood & Take Appropriate Actions

The first thing you need to do is determine where the flood water is coming from and then act accordingly. If the water is coming from: 

A Creek Or River

If the flood water is rushing into your house, from an outside creek or river, you may need to evacuate your property. If the water is moving fast, and the current is really fast next to your home, you need to stay away from the flowing water. If the current is not strong in your house, you can try to save as many items as possible. However, if you are not sure of the strength of the water, leave the area and call emergency services to report that situation.

A Faucet

If the water that is flooding into your home is coming from a faucet, be sure to assess the situation before moving any closer and turning the faucet off. Make sure that there are no live wires sitting in the water. Make sure that the floors not have collapsed under the weight of the water. If you are sure that there are not any hazards, turn off the faucet. If you suspect that there are live wires in the water or that the floor is unstable, do not attempt to turn off the water. Instead call your local emergency services and have them come out and help you.

Turn Off The Electricity

If you are able to safely get to your breaker box without having to wade through water, you should turn off the electricity to the section of your house that is flooded. That way, if any wires get loose, the water will not become electrically charged. Turn off all the breakers for any rooms where you know there is water, or where you suspect that the water might go before you are able to contain it.

If you are not able to safely get to your breaker box, wait for an emergency respondent to arrive and assist you with turning off the electricity to the flooded portion of your house.

Be Careful About Moving Items

It can be tempting to jump right in when you see your house is flooding and try to drag items out of the water. However, you should keep in mind that the water could be hiding potential hazards that could cause you to slip and fall. Even if you are sure that there is nothing on the ground that you could slip on, you never really know; the water could have moved around objects in your house. Make sure you move slowly and look before you put your step down to avoid slipping and hurting yourself.

You should also be very cautious when it comes to moving items. When items in your house become soaked or "water logged," they can be much more difficult to move. Anything that is absorbent at all will be heavier than you expect it to be. Don't push yourself pass your physical limits trying to move items out of the way of the water. Only move what you can realistically handle when taking into consideration the extra water weight. 

If you are not sure about the safety of your home, or are not confident in your ability to navigate through the water to save your belongings, you should wait for help to arrive. The most important thing you can do when you are faced with a flood situation is to first make sure that you are safe, and second, to act responsibly. Call an emergency response team to make sure the scene is safe and call a water damage restoration business to come out immediately and help you clean up the mess created by the flood.