Water Extraction Guides · Causes & Prevention

How to Prevent Flooding in a Louisiana Home

Flooding in a Louisiana home is rarely a single cause. It is usually a combination: heavy rain, ground that is already saturated, gutters that overflow, a drain that is blocked, and a low doorway that lets the water in. Prevention is a matter of habits, not of a single fix, and the habits are simple ones: keep water moving away from the home, check for leaks regularly, and know how to stop the water when something fails.

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This guide covers practical prevention habits in general terms, for homes in Terrytown and Chalmette alike. For the service itself, the flood water extraction page gives a general outline. No outcome is promised for any individual home here.

Keep water moving away from the home

The first habit is to keep water moving away from the home. Gutters carry rain from the roof to the ground, and downspouts carry it away from the base of the walls. When gutters are blocked with leaves and debris, water overflows and runs down the walls, gathering at the base of the home where it finds its way inside through gaps that are invisible in dry weather. Cleaning the gutters, and making sure the downspouts discharge away from the home, is the simplest prevention habit there is.

The ground around the home matters too. Soil that slopes toward the house sends water against the walls, while soil that slopes away sends it elsewhere. Low spots near the home gather water in heavy rain, and a drain that is blocked with leaves or soil cannot carry it away. A walk around the home after heavy rain shows where the water gathers, and that is where the work is needed.

Check for leaks regularly

The second habit is to check for leaks regularly. A quick look under sinks, behind toilets, around the base of the water heater, and at the hoses behind the washing machine, once a month, takes a few minutes, and it catches a leak while it is still small. Look for water, damp patches, staining, and any musty smell, and note the date you first see anything.

A water meter check is another simple habit. Note the reading, make sure no water is being used, and check the reading again after an hour. If it has moved, water is going somewhere it should not be, and that is worth a call. A few minutes a month is a small price against a leak that runs for weeks.

Keeping water moving away from the home is the first habit, and it starts with the gutters. Gutters carry rain from the roof to the ground, and downspouts carry it away from the base of the walls. When gutters are blocked with leaves and debris, water overflows and runs down the walls, gathering at the base of the home where it finds its way inside through gaps that are invisible in dry weather.

How to Prevent Flooding in a Louisiana Home — Louisiana water guide

Know your shut-off

The third habit is knowing how to stop the water. Find the main shut-off for the home, make sure it turns, and make sure everyone in the household knows where it is. If a pipe bursts, the water is stopped by shutting it off, and every minute of running water adds to the job. Knowing the shut-off before an emergency is worth more than knowing it during one.

It is also worth knowing the shut-offs for individual appliances: the valve behind the washing machine, the valve at the water heater, and the valve under each sink and toilet. A leak at one appliance can be stopped at its own valve, without shutting off the water to the whole home.

Prepare for heavy rain

Before heavy rain, there are a few practical steps worth taking. Clear leaves and debris from gutters and drains, move valuables and papers off the floor in low rooms, and make sure the lowest doorways are clear of clutter. If the home has a history of water at a particular doorway or low window, keep an eye on it during the rain, and note where the water comes in, because that is the place to watch next time.

Do not try to hold back flood water by hand, and do not wade into standing water to move belongings. Safety comes before property, every time. If water is entering the home, call a professional from a dry place.

Checking for leaks regularly is the second habit. A quick look under sinks, behind toilets, around the base of the water heater, and at the hoses behind the washing machine, once a month, takes a few minutes, and it catches a leak while it is still small. A water meter check, noting the reading and checking it again after an hour with no water running, is another simple habit.

A short prevention checklist

Clean the gutters and check the downspouts. Walk the ground around the home after rain and note where water gathers. Check under sinks, behind toilets, and around the water heater once a month. Note the water meter reading and check it again after an hour with no water running. Find the main shut-off, make sure it turns, and teach everyone in the household where it is.

These habits take a few hours a year, and they are worth doing, because prevention is far simpler than the job that follows a flood. If water does enter your home, call (877) 624-0105; availability is confirmed on the call.

Knowing how to stop the water is the third habit. Find the main shut-off for the home, make sure it turns, and make sure everyone in the household knows where it is. If a pipe bursts, the water is stopped by shutting it off, and every minute of running water adds to the job. Knowing the shut-off before an emergency is worth more than knowing it during one.

Key Takeaways

The first habit is to keep water moving away from the home.
The second habit is to check for leaks regularly.
The third habit is knowing how to stop the water.
Before heavy rain, there are a few practical steps worth taking.
Clean the gutters and check the downspouts.

Questions About How to Prevent Flooding in a Louisiana Home

What is the simplest way to prevent flooding?

Keep water moving away from the home: clean gutters, make sure downspouts discharge away from the base of the walls, and check that the ground slopes away from the house. Blocked gutters and low spots near the home are the most common causes.

How often should I check for leaks?

Once a month is enough for a quick look under sinks, behind toilets, around the water heater, and at the washing machine hoses. A water meter check, noting the reading and checking it again after an hour with no water running, is another simple habit.

Why does knowing the shut-off matter?

If a pipe bursts, the water is stopped by shutting it off, and every minute of running water adds to the job. Knowing the shut-off before an emergency is worth more than knowing it during one.

What should I do before heavy rain?

Clear leaves and debris from gutters and drains, move valuables and papers off the floor in low rooms, and keep the lowest doorways clear. Do not try to hold back flood water by hand, and do not wade into standing water.

Your Next Step

If this guide matches what you found at home, the next step is a visit — not a guess. Call and describe what you found, and the visit is arranged from what you describe. The Flood Water Extraction page explains what that service covers, and the water removal page explains what that service covers when water has spread to more than one room.

Do not enter flooded rooms while you wait, and if water is leaking, turn off the shut-off valve for that fixture where you can reach it safely from dry ground.

Keep the guides on this site bookmarked: the first guide, the signs guide, and the preparation guide cover the checks worth repeating — after moving in, and after bringing used fixtures home.

Water extraction help is available across Louisiana. See water extraction in Marksville, LA for one local example, or find your town on the service areas page.