When drainage pumps stop, rain stands where it falls and then finds the lowest way into houses. The first steps are to keep people out of water near electricity, close any line that feeds the house, move valuables to dry surfaces, photograph the water and call for extraction. In September 2024 three of four drainage pumps in Kenner stopped during Hurricane Francine.
Key takeaways
- Keep people out of standing water that is near an outlet, a panel or an appliance, and treat every wet electrical item as live.
- Close the supply valve to any line that is leaking, and stop any entry point you can reach safely.
- Move valuables, documents and small appliances to dry, high surfaces before the water reaches them.
- Photograph the water, the wet line on the walls and the damage before anything is moved or cleaned.
- Call for extraction early, and say whether the water is still rising, since that decides the first visit.
What happened to Kenner's drainage in September 2024?
Hurricane Francine brought heavy rain to the Kenner area in September 2024, and Jefferson Parish officials reported that three of four drainage pumps in Kenner stopped working. Rain that the pumps could not move had nowhere to go, and some houses took water through their doors, floors and walls.
A drainage pump moves water away from low ground. When it stops, rain that falls on the surrounding area collects in the lowest places and stays there until the pump is working again or the water finds another way out. Kenner's low ground depends on that drainage, and a pump failure leaves the water with no slope to run down.
Regional reporting from that week also described canals overtopping in the Lincoln Manor area at about the same time that nearby pumps failed. A homeowner in a similar position should expect that the water may come from more than one direction, and should check the yard, the door and the floor before deciding what has happened.
What is the first thing to do when water is rising?
The first step is to protect people. Keep everyone out of standing water, especially near an outlet, a breaker panel or a plugged-in appliance. If the water is still rising, move people to the highest dry room, and then move to the next step.
Water and electricity are the main hazard in a flooded house. A wet outlet, a damp extension cord or an appliance standing in water can give a shock. Do not walk through water to reach a panel, and do not switch on any light or appliance in a room with standing water. If the water reaches the panel area, leave the panel alone and call.
Once people are safe, look at the source. If the water is coming under a door or through a vent, note where it is entering. If a pipe is the source, close the valve that feeds it. A pump outage usually cannot be stopped from inside the house, so the aim is to slow the water and protect what is in the building.
How do I protect the floor and the wiring in the first hours?
Move valuables and documents to a high, dry surface, lift small rugs off the floor, and keep cords and plugs away from the water. Turn off power to a wet area only at a dry breaker or panel that you can reach without standing in water. Protect the wiring by keeping it clear of the water's path.
A floor takes water through its underside as well as its surface. A towel placed at a threshold can slow a small flow for a few minutes, but it will not hold back water that keeps coming. The practical step is to lift what can be lifted and move it to a dry room, then wait for the crew.
Electrical wiring in a flooded area should be left alone until a qualified person has checked it. A breaker that is switched off at a dry panel is the safest way to cut power to a wet room. Do not use a generator indoors or near an open window, because the exhaust can kill.
| When | What to do | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Water first seen | Note the time and the place, and move people to dry rooms | Walking into water to reach a switch or panel |
| Water still rising | Close the supply valve to any leaking line and call the team | Trying to pump a large volume with a plugged-in tool |
| Power question | Switch off the breaker to the wet room only if it is dry to reach | Touching a wet outlet, cord or appliance |
| Contents | Lift valuables and papers to a high, dry surface | Carrying heavy items through standing water |
| Evidence | Photograph the water line, the damage and the source before moving anything | Cleaning up before the photographs are taken |
| Overnight | Keep the call line in mind and check the water every hour if it is safe | Sleeping in a room with water rising toward it |
Should I pump the water out myself?
Only small amounts, with equipment rated for the job, and only once the power to the area is safely off. Pumping a large amount of standing water is work for a crew with the right pumps and the right safety steps. A household tool plugged into an outlet in the water is a shock risk.
A small amount of water can be moved with a bucket or a towel from a dry position. A wet vacuum or a pump is useful only when it is rated for wet use and kept away from the water and the power. A plugged-in pump in standing water can electrocute the person operating it.
Pumping can also spread water into dry rooms, and it can move soil or debris into the places that have not yet been reached. A crew pumps from the lowest point first and keeps the water out of the dry rooms as far as possible.
What should I photograph and write down?
Photograph the water on the floor, the wet line on the walls, the damage to the contents and the source if it is visible. Write down the time you first saw the water and where it appeared. Keep the photographs with their date stamps, and do not edit them.
Insurers often ask when the water was first noticed and how far it reached. A short written record with the times and places is worth more than a memory of the storm. Photograph the room before anything is moved, and then photograph each item as it is lifted.
Keep the record in one place and in date order. Note the call time, the time the crew arrived and each step the crew took. The record helps the crew plan the visit and helps any insurer follow the work.
When and how should I call for extraction?
Call as soon as water is coming into the house, and say whether it is still rising. Calls are answered at any hour. A crew is sent as soon as one is free, and no arrival time is promised, because roads and demand can change after a storm.
The phone team asks for the address, the rooms affected, whether the water is rising, whether the power is off in the wet area and whether anyone is in the house. Those answers decide how the first visit is planned and which equipment the crew brings.
Do not wait until the water has reached the walls to call. Early extraction limits the spread into the structure, and it means the first visit can focus on removing the standing water before the materials soak it up.
What happens after the water is removed?
After extraction the crew reads the floor, the wall base and the subfloor with moisture meters, then sets drying equipment from those readings. Materials that cannot be dried are removed. The drying continues until the readings return to normal, and the log is kept for the homeowner.
The water that is visible is only part of the damage. The crew reads the building to find how far the water reached, and it marks the readings on the walls and the floor. Those marks show whether the drying is working on each visit.
Drying is not finished when the floor looks dry. The subfloor, the wall base and the framing must read dry at the marked points before any new finish is laid. A homeowner who is unsure can ask to see the readings at any visit.
What should I do if the water comes back after the pumps restart?
Water can return after a pump restarts, because the ground around the house may still be saturated and the outside system may take time to clear. Keep the same safety steps, check the source again, and tell the crew that the water has come back, since a second inflow changes the plan.
A restarted pump does not mean the ground has drained. Water that has soaked into the soil keeps moving toward low points for some time, and it can reach a house again through the same door or vent. A homeowner who sees water return should treat it as a new event, check the power and the source, and note the time it reappeared.
Do not assume the house is dry because the water has gone down once. The crew reads the building after each inflow, and it records the readings at the same marked points. A repeat inflow usually means the drying plan has to allow for more time and perhaps more equipment, and the crew explains the change before it is made.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly should I call after the water starts coming in?
As soon as it is safe to make the call. Say whether the water is still rising, because that decides the first visit. Calls are answered at any hour.
Will the crew arrive while the pumps are still down?
A crew is sent as soon as one is free. Roads and demand after a storm can change the timing, so no arrival time is promised.
Should I turn off the power to the whole house?
Only if you can do it safely. The aim is to cut power to the wet area at a dry breaker. If the panel is in water, leave it alone and call.
Can I use a generator to run a pump?
Not indoors or near an open window. Exhaust from a generator can be deadly, and a generator should be run outside, away from the house, by a person who knows how to use it safely.
What should I do with my car in the driveway?
Move it to higher ground if you can do it safely and without driving through moving water. Do not drive into standing water.
Who handles an insurance question about the water?
The insurer on your policy decides the claim. The Louisiana Department of Insurance takes complaints about how a claim is handled, and this guide does not state policy terms or deadlines.
Sources
This guide is general information for Jefferson Parish homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.