Storm recovery, one step at a time
Who acts, in what order, and what to do while you wait. The power company, the inspector and the electrician each hold one step, and none can skip another.
- 01You
Step 1: Make it safe
Burning smell, sparks, a hot or scorched panel or meter: call 911 first. If it is safe and dry, turn off the main breaker. Stay out of any room where water is near wiring.
Do not touch a panel, outlet or meter that has been under water
Keep everyone away from downed or sagging lines and call the power company
- 02Power company
Step 2: The power company disconnects
If water or wind reached the meter or the service wire, the power company turns the service off at the meter or the pole. Call them, and write down the ticket number.
We cannot reconnect a service the power company has cut
Their ticket number is the first thing we ask for
- 03You
Step 3: Photograph before anything moves
Take pictures of the panel, the meter base, the wet outlets and the waterline on the wall, before anything is dried or hauled out. Text them to us.
The waterline on the wall shows how high the damage goes
Keep the photos for your adjuster
- 04Us
Step 4: We survey and write it down
We come to the house, open what is safe to open and find what stayed above the water. You get a written estimate that lists each part of the work on its own line.
Meter base, mast, panel, circuits and permit fees, line by line
A list your adjuster can read
- 05Us
Step 5: We repair under a permit
We pull the permit where one is required and replace what water touched. If you choose, we raise the panel and meter base above the flood line while the wall is open.
Equipment that went under water is generally replaced, not dried
A raise is your decision and its own line on the estimate
- 06City or county
Step 6: The city or county inspects
An inspector checks the work. The power company needs that approval before it reconnects, and we meet the inspector at the house.
If something fails, we fix it and ask for a second look
You do not need to be home for the inspection unless the inspector asks
- 07Power company
Step 7: The power company reconnects
Once the inspection is approved, the power company reconnects the service. The date is theirs, not ours. We can call them with you.
After a big storm, reconnects can take a while
We tell you the day we hear it, not before
Before you call anyone
Burning smell, sparks or a hot panel? Call 911 first.
If it is safe and dry, turn off the main breaker. Stay out of any room where water is near wiring. Then call or text us, and we will tell you what to do next.
For your adjuster
Photograph before anything moves
Pictures taken before the cleanup show what the water did, and our survey is easier to write with them.
Text them to (251) 555-0100, or keep them to show us when we arrive.
The panel, door open if it is dry and safe
The meter, the mast and the weatherhead at the roofline
The waterline on the wall, with something beside it for scale
Any outlet, switch or light the water reached
The power company’s ticket number, written on paper
Wind
Storm damage that is not flood
A fallen limb or a hard wind can pull a mast off the house with no water at all. The steps are the same from step 2.
A leaning or bent mast
The pipe that carries the service wire up from the meter. If it leans, the wire is under strain.
A weatherhead pulled loose
The cap at the top of the mast where the power company’s wire meets yours.
A meter base pulled from the wall
Wind, a limb or a ladder can crack the box. Do not push it back.
Questions we hear after a storm
Do I need an inspection before the power comes back?
In most cases, yes. After a flood or a service repair the city or county has to approve the work before the power company reconnects. We schedule the inspection and meet the inspector. Ask your building department what it requires for your address.
Who calls the power company?
You do, first, because the account is yours and they need your ticket number. We call them with you when the repair is done and the inspection is approved, if you want us to.
Can a panel that got wet be dried and kept?
Equipment that was under water is generally replaced. We check what stayed above the waterline, tell you what we found and put it on the estimate line by line.
Will you work with my insurance company?
We give you a written, line-by-line estimate and photos of what we found. Your insurance company decides what it covers, and we cannot say what that will be.
Send a photo of your panel and meter
We read photos in the order they arrive and write back with a time for the survey.
