No matter how much you prepare for a flood, the outcome can be devastating. A flooded home leaves you with a mess to clean up before you can repair or rebuild. But there are some essential flood cleanup steps that can help minimize damage. These tips will help get your home back the way it was before disaster struck. 1. Shut Off the Power Safety first: Begin the flood damage cleanup process by ensuring the power is off. If your circuit breaker box is in a waterlogged area, call a local emergency electrician or the power company to shut it off. Related Article A living room with a fireplace located in the basement of a house 6 Reasons Your Basement Flooded, Even Though You Have a Pump When you see water in your basement, listen for your sump pump while checking common locations where water seeps into homes 2. Pump Out the Water Flooded bathroom Rober Kneschke - stock.adobe.com If you’re going the DIY route, or if you’re still waiting for help from the professionals, focus on removing the excess water from your home. Use a wet-dry shop vacuum, electric water transfer pump, or sump pump to remove standing water. Don a pair of rubber boots if you have to stand in a wet area. 3. Dry Off Your Home Once most of the water is out, start the drying process. Open all doors and windows. Set up fans to maximize the airflow in your home. If your vents got exposed to floodwater, wait to turn your HVAC unit back on until you have the ducts inspected and cleaned by a local HVAC