Property damage is happening right now and you need to know exactly what to do. Whether your basement is flooding, you smell smoke, you discovered mold, or you found asbestos during a renovation, the actions you take in the first few hours directly determine the extent of damage, the cost of restoration, and whether your insurance claim gets approved. This emergency response guide provides step-by-step instructions for every type of property damage emergency on Long Island and in New York City. Bookmark this page. You may need it at 2 AM.
For immediate emergency response, call Upper Restoration: (516) 777-7001 for Nassau County or (631) 625-6600 for Suffolk County. We mobilize in under 90 minutes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
My Basement Is Flooding Right Now: What to Do
If water is actively entering your home, take these steps immediately and in this order:
Step 1: Ensure personal safety. Do not enter standing water if there is any possibility of electrical contact. If water has reached electrical outlets, appliances, or your breaker panel, do not wade in. Go to your main electrical panel (if safely accessible) and shut off power to affected areas. If you cannot safely reach the panel, call your utility company or 911.
Step 2: Stop the water source if possible. If the flooding is from a burst pipe or failed appliance, locate and close the main water shut-off valve for your home. On most Long Island homes, this valve is in the basement near where the water main enters the house, or near the water meter. Turn the valve clockwise to close it. If you cannot identify or reach the shut-off valve, call your water utility to shut off water at the street.
Step 3: Call your restoration company. Call Upper Restoration immediately at (516) 777-7001 or (631) 625-6600. Professional water extraction equipment removes water exponentially faster than consumer pumps or wet-dry vacuums. Every hour that water sits increases damage to structural materials, promotes mold growth, and raises restoration costs. We arrive within 90 minutes with truck-mounted extraction units.
Step 4: Document everything before cleanup begins. Take photos and video of all standing water, damaged materials, and affected areas. Photograph the water source if visible. Capture timestamps. This documentation is essential for your insurance claim. Do not throw away any damaged items until your insurance adjuster has inspected them.
Step 5: Begin protecting unaffected areas. If you can safely do so, move furniture, electronics, and valuables away from water. Place aluminum foil or plastic under furniture legs on wet carpet to prevent staining. Open windows if weather permits to begin air circulation. Do NOT use your HVAC system if ductwork may be water-affected.
Step 6: Call your insurance company. Notify your insurer within 24 hours. Have your policy number ready. Report the cause of the water damage (burst pipe, storm, appliance failure) as this determines coverage. Your restoration company can help you with this call and provide the documentation your carrier needs.
There Is Smoke or Fire Damage in My Home: What to Do
If there is active fire, call 911 immediately and evacuate. Do not re-enter the building until the fire department declares it safe. The following steps apply after the fire has been extinguished and you have been cleared to assess the property.
Step 1: Do not turn on HVAC or fans. Smoke and soot particles will spread through your ductwork to every room in the house. Keep the HVAC system off until a professional restoration company assesses the situation. This is one of the most common and costly mistakes homeowners make after a fire.
Step 2: Ventilate naturally if possible. Open windows in the affected area only, not throughout the house, to begin airing out smoke without spreading it through the HVAC system.
Step 3: Call a fire damage restoration company. Fire damage is time-sensitive. Soot is acidic and begins etching surfaces within 24 to 48 hours. Smoke odor embeds deeper into porous materials every day it is left untreated. The sooner professional cleaning begins, the more materials can be saved rather than replaced. Call Upper Restoration at (516) 777-7001 for emergency fire and smoke damage response.
Step 4: Document all damage for insurance. Photograph every room, even ones that appear unaffected by fire. Smoke damage is often invisible but present. Photograph the fire origin point, structural damage, soot patterns on walls and ceilings, and the condition of contents (furniture, electronics, clothing). Make a written inventory of damaged items with estimated values.
Step 5: Secure the property. If doors, windows, or walls are compromised, the property needs immediate board-up and tarping to prevent weather damage and unauthorized entry. Upper Restoration provides emergency board-up services across Long Island.
Step 6: Do not attempt DIY cleanup. Soot contains carcinogenic compounds. Improper cleaning methods (like using regular household cleaners or water on soot) can permanently stain surfaces and spread contamination. Professional fire restoration uses specialized chemical sponges, HEPA vacuums, thermal fogging, and ozone treatment that household products cannot replicate.
I Found Mold in My Home: What to Do
Discovering mold can be alarming, but the good news is that mold usually does not require the same immediate emergency response as flooding or fire. Here is what to do in the first 24 hours:
Step 1: Do not disturb the mold. Do not scrub, spray bleach on, or attempt to remove mold yourself. Disturbing mold releases spores into the air, which can spread contamination to other areas of your home and cause health symptoms. This is especially true for black mold (Stachybotrys chartarum), which requires professional containment during removal.
Step 2: Reduce moisture immediately. Mold needs moisture to grow. If there is an active water source (leak, condensation, humidity), address it if you can. Run a dehumidifier in the affected area. Fix any visible leaks. The goal is to stop feeding the mold while you arrange professional assessment.
Step 3: Isolate the area if possible. Close doors to the affected room. Turn off HVAC in that zone if you can. Place a wet towel at the bottom of the door to reduce spore migration. These steps limit spread while you wait for professional assessment.
Step 4: Contact a licensed mold assessor. Under New York States Mold Law (Article 32 of the Labor Law), the company that assesses your mold and the company that remediates it must be separate entities. This prevents conflicts of interest. A licensed mold assessor will test the air quality, identify the mold species, determine the extent of contamination, and write a remediation protocol that the remediation company must follow.
Step 5: Hire a licensed mold remediation company. Once the assessment is complete and a remediation protocol is in hand, hire a NYS-licensed mold remediation company to perform the work. Upper Restoration holds NYS Mold Remediation Licensure and performs remediation following IICRC S520 standards with full containment, HEPA filtration, and post-remediation verification.
Step 6: Review your insurance coverage. Check your homeowners policy for mold coverage. If the mold resulted from a covered water event (burst pipe, appliance failure), the remediation may be covered under that claim. Contact your insurance company and reference the original water damage claim number if applicable.
I Found Asbestos During a Renovation: What to Do
Step 1: Stop all work immediately. If you or your contractor discover suspected asbestos-containing material during renovation or demolition, all work in that area must stop. This is not optional. Under OSHA regulations and New York State law, continuing work that disturbs asbestos without proper containment is illegal and extremely hazardous.
Step 2: Leave the area and limit access. Exit the room and close the door. Do not attempt to clean up any dust or debris. If materials have been disturbed (broken tiles, torn insulation, scraped texture), fibers may be airborne. Limit access to the area until a professional can assess the situation.
Step 3: Contact a licensed asbestos inspector. A NYS DOL-certified asbestos inspector will take samples of the suspected material for laboratory analysis. Results typically take 3 to 5 business days, with rush service available for 24-hour turnaround.
Step 4: If confirmed, arrange professional abatement. Asbestos abatement must be performed by a licensed contractor under full containment with HEPA filtration, proper disposal, and air clearance testing. In New York City, a DEP asbestos permit is required before work begins. Upper Restoration handles the entire abatement process including NYC DEP permitting, containment, removal, disposal, and final clearance testing.
Step 5: Do not resume renovation until cleared. After abatement is complete, the area must pass air clearance testing before any other work can resume. This testing confirms that airborne fiber levels are below the EPA clearance standard of 0.01 fibers per cubic centimeter.
Storm Damage Emergency Response
After a hurricane, noreaster, or severe storm on Long Island, property damage may include a combination of water intrusion, wind damage, fallen trees, and power loss. The priorities are: ensure personal safety and evacuate if the structure is compromised, call 911 if there are injuries or immediate structural danger, document all damage with photos and video before any cleanup, call your insurance company within 24 hours, and contact a restoration company for emergency board-up, tarping, water extraction, and tree removal. Upper Restoration provides full storm damage response across Nassau County, Suffolk County, and New York City including emergency tarping, board-up, water extraction, and debris removal.
Emergency Contact Information
Upper Restoration Emergency Line: Nassau County: (516) 777-7001 | Suffolk County: (631) 625-6600 | Available 24/7, 365 days a year with 90-minute response time.
Other Emergency Numbers: Fire/Medical Emergency: 911 | National Grid Gas Emergency: 1-800-930-5003 | PSEG Long Island Power Outage: 1-800-490-0075 | NYC DEP Emergency: 311 | Poison Control (asbestos/mold exposure symptoms): 1-800-222-1222
Frequently Asked Questions
How quickly does water damage become permanent?
Water damage progression follows a predictable timeline. Within the first 24 hours, drywall begins absorbing water and swelling, carpet padding becomes saturated, and metal surfaces start showing signs of tarnish. Within 48 hours, mold can begin germinating on wet surfaces. After 72 hours, structural materials may begin warping, and mold growth becomes visible. After one week, restoration costs can double compared to immediate response because more materials require replacement rather than drying.
Should I try to extract water myself while waiting for professionals?
If you can safely do so, basic water removal with a wet-dry vacuum, mops, or towels helps but is not a substitute for professional extraction. A professional truck-mounted extraction unit removes hundreds of gallons per hour compared to the 5 to 10 gallons a consumer wet-dry vacuum handles. Focus on protecting valuables and documenting damage rather than exhaustive DIY extraction.
Does Upper Restoration respond at night and on weekends?
Yes. Upper Restoration operates a 24/7/365 emergency response team across Long Island and NYC. Our dispatch center is staffed around the clock, and we maintain crews on standby for overnight and weekend emergencies. Our average response time is under 90 minutes for Nassau and Suffolk County.
