The first 10 minutes: safety before anything else
Do not enter standing water in the basement if the power is on. Water and electricity together can kill, and it is the single most dangerous mistake people make in a flooded basement. If you can safely reach your main breaker from a dry stairway, cut power to the basement circuits. If you cannot reach it without stepping into water, stay out and call DTE Energy or an electrician instead of guessing. If you smell gas anywhere in the house, leave immediately and call from outside. Once power is confirmed off, or was never on down there, wear boots and gloves before you go back in. Storm and sewer water carries bacteria and contaminants you do not want on bare skin.
Before you touch anything, document it
This is the step everyone skips in the panic of a flooding basement, and the one that costs the most later. Before you move a single box or run a wet vac, take wide shots and close-up photos and video of the water line on the walls, the standing water, and every affected item: furniture, flooring, drywall, anything stored down there. Write down the exact date and time you discovered the water. That timestamp matters more than it looks like it should: it starts a legal clock, explained below, that keeps running whether you write it down or not.
Who do you call, in what order?
1. Immediate danger
Call 911 for anything life-threatening: an electrical hazard you cannot isolate, a gas smell, or a medical issue. This comes before every other call on this list, always.
2. Report the backup to the right agency
If you are in Detroit and suspect a municipal sewer backup, call DWSD at (313) 267-8000 the same day, or use the Improve Detroit app, and ask for a Service Request number. You need that number before you can file a damage claim later, so get it now rather than after cleanup (DWSD Damage Claims & Sewage Backups). Macomb County residents can reach Public Works' 24-hour hotline at (877) 679-4337. Oakland County residents file through the county Water Resources Commissioner. If your community's system runs through the regional authority, GLWA's contact information is at glwater.org. Reporting also helps the agency see whether it is an isolated pipe issue or a wider problem in your area that night. Full step-by-step: our DWSD/GLWA claim guide.
3. A plumber, only if the source is inside your home
If the water is coming from a burst pipe, a failed water heater, or a backup tied to your own line rather than the municipal system, shut off the water supply if you can and call a plumber to stop the source. If the water is a municipal sewer backup or storm water coming in from outside, there may be no valve to close, and your priority shifts entirely to documentation and getting water out.
4. Your insurance company
Call to open a claim once the immediate danger is handled and you have your documentation. Ask directly whether you carry a water or sewer backup endorsement, since a standard policy will not cover this without one. Our guide on what insurance actually covers for sewer backup in Michigan lays out exactly what to ask before that call.
5. A restoration company
If the water is more than you can extract and dry yourself within a day, or the affected area is large, a restoration company can pump, extract, and set up commercial drying equipment. Get more than one quote if you have the luxury of time, and confirm they are actually licensed and insured before they start work, the same way you would for a waterproofing contractor.
What's the clock you cannot see? (45 days to claim, 48 hours before mold)
Two deadlines are running whether you notice them or not. If a municipal sewer caused the backup, Michigan law (MCL 691.1419) gives you 45 days from the date you discovered the damage to send written notice to the responsible agency, DWSD, GLWA, or your county, or you generally lose the right to claim. Our DWSD and GLWA claim guide walks through exactly what that notice needs to say. Separately, the EPA advises drying water-damaged areas and materials within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth (EPA, “A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home”). Porous materials like carpet, carpet padding, and wet drywall that stay damp past that window usually need to be removed rather than dried in place.
What help is free right now?
Michigan 211 provides free, 24/7 navigation to flood cleanup help, shelter, and utility assistance; dial 211 or text your ZIP code to 898211. If you are a Detroit homeowner, the city's drainage-charge Green Credit is automatic and needs no application. For help paying to prevent the next backup rather than this one, see our assistance programs guide for what is actually open this month, including a program that pays up to $40,000 toward a permanent fix.
What happens after the water is out?
A basement that flooded once is very likely to flood again in a comparable storm unless the underlying cause gets fixed. Pull soaked drywall and insulation back to dry material, since mold grows behind walls you cannot see even after the surface looks dry. Once things are stable, figure out whether the cause was a municipal backup, a failed sump pump, or groundwater seepage, since each has a different fix and a different cost. Our 2026 waterproofing cost guide breaks down what each one actually runs in metro Detroit, and our live storm watch shows whether more rain is coming before you decide how fast to move.