Flooded Basement or Wet Electrical? Do This First

What's Probably Happening

Water and electricity together create two separate problems. The immediate one is shock: standing water can become energized if it touches live outlets, cords or equipment. The longer one is damage: even after the water is gone, what it left inside electrical parts can cause failures and fires later.

How Water Gets in Around Here

In the Midland, Bay and Saginaw area, basement water usually comes from spring snowmelt and heavy rain, a sump pump that failed or lost power during a storm, or rivers rising. In May 2020, the Edenville and Sanford dam failures sent floodwater through parts of Sanford and Midland, and many homes and businesses had to deal with exactly this. Most floods are smaller than that, but the electrical rules are the same.

Water in Outlets and Cords

Outlets near the basement floor, extension cords and power strips lying on the floor, and anything plugged into them are often the first things to get wet. GFCI outlets may trip, which is what they're for, but a flooded GFCI still needs to be replaced.

Water at the Panel

If water reached the panel, the breakers and the panel itself have likely been damaged. NEMA guidance on water-damaged electrical equipment says breakers, panelboards and similar devices exposed to flooding should generally be replaced. Drying them isn't enough, because corrosion and silt stay inside where you can't see or clean them.

Furnace, Water Heater and Appliances

Furnace controls, water heater controls, washers, dryers and freezers in the basement may have been wet. Their electrical parts need checking, and some will need replacing, before they're used again.

What You Can Safely Check Yourself

1. Stay out of standing water if there's any chance something electrical in it is energized. Keep kids and pets out too.
2. If you can reach the main breaker while standing on a dry floor, with dry hands, turn it off. If reaching it means stepping into water, don't.
3. If you can't safely reach the main, call your utility and ask them to disconnect power: Consumers Energy at 1-800-477-5050, or Bay City Electric Light & Power inside Bay City.
4. Once the power is off, note how high the water got. A line on the walls helps us know which outlets, equipment and wiring were submerged.
5. Don't plug in, turn on or test anything that got wet, including appliances.
6. Take photos for your insurance company before items are moved or thrown out.

When to Stop and Call

• Water is touching or has touched the panel, outlets, cords or appliances: keep out and get the power off safely first.
• You feel a tingle from water, a pipe or an appliance: get out of the area and keep others away.
• Smoke, sparks or a burning smell: get everyone out and call 911.
• Power lines are down in floodwater outside: stay far away and call 911 and your utility.
• The water is gone and you want the power back on. Wet equipment should be inspected and replaced as needed first.

If your basement flooded and water reached the wiring, call Select Electric at (989) 835-3587. Tell us how high the water got and what it touched, and we'll help you figure out what needs replacing before the power goes back on. If a sump pump that failed during an outage started all this, ask us about a generator to keep it running next time.