Removing water and solids
Extraction takes out the water; the mud, grit and debris left behind have to be removed separately before anything can be dried or cleaned.
Storm and Flood Damage Cleanup
Monsoon downpours can put water under a door or through a roof in minutes, and what comes in carries dust, grit and whatever the street was holding. An independent provider can clean it up and dry what it soaked.
- Restoration Referrals
- Independent Pros
- Drying & Repairs
Signs That Need Attention
- Water that came in at a door threshold or the garage
- Ceiling stains or drips that appeared during a storm
- A low-slope or foam roof with clogged scuppers
- Mud or debris left on flooring after water drained away
- A wall that felt damp for days after wind-driven rain
The July to September monsoon brings short, violent storms, microburst winds and flash flooding in washes and low streets; the record Phoenix rain of September 8, 2014 flooded freeways and neighborhoods, and monsoon storms in 2022 and 2023 did it again on a smaller scale. Older central homes often have flat or low-slope foam roofs whose scuppers and canales pack with dust and stop draining.
What the Service Includes
Storm water from outside is treated differently from clean water out of a pipe, because of what it carries with it.
Sorting what can stay
Porous materials that sat in floodwater, such as carpet pad and the bottom of drywall, are usually removed rather than dried. Hard surfaces are cleaned and then dried.
Drying and odor control
Once the affected materials are out, air movers and dehumidifiers dry the structure, and surfaces are cleaned so a smell does not settle in.
Your Options
Do not run the air conditioning or the heat while floodwater is still in the house, because the ducts can spread what is in it. Keep shoes on, wear gloves, and stay out of any room where water reached outlets or appliances.
If the roof was the way in, the leak needs fixing before drying starts. See structural drying for what happens next and emergency water extraction for the first stage.
When the water came in through the ceiling rather than a door, see roof leak cleanup. For a business, see commercial restoration. To check whether your street is listed, open the service areas page or call the number.
Storm and Flood Questions
Is floodwater from the street safe to walk through?
Treat it as contaminated. Runoff picks up whatever is on the road and in the yard, and it can also hide broken glass or a dropped power line. Stay out of it, keep children and pets away and let a crew with protective gear handle the room.
Can carpet that sat in storm water be saved?
The pad almost never can, and carpet that sat in water from outside is usually removed too. Hard flooring and framing can often be cleaned and dried. The inspection sorts one from the other and it goes in the quote.
Should I turn the AC on to help dry the house?
Not after water came in from outside or from a drain. Running the system can move contamination through the ducts. Wait until the provider has assessed the rooms and the air handler.
What affects the cost of storm damage cleanup?
How much water came in, what it carried, how many rooms it reached and how much material has to be removed. Ask the independent provider to set that out in a written quote. Compare options in drying versus replacing.
Arrange water damage service in Phoenix
Call and describe where the water came from and what it reached to check whether an independent provider is available.