After a flood: first steps for safety, cleanup and damage

Key rules

• Power and gas: Do not switch on electricity or use gas in a flooded home until a qualified electrician or the supplier has checked the installation.
• Re-entry: Go back in only when the authorities say it is safe.
• Evidence first: Photograph the damage before you clean or throw anything away.
• Tap water: Use bottled or boiled water until the authorities confirm the tap water is safe.
• Flooded car: Do not start the engine of a flooded car.

Check it is safe before you go back in

Go back into a flooded home only when the authorities say it is safe. Look at the structure first. Cracks, sagging floors or ceilings, or leaning walls mean you stay out and ask the town hall (ayuntamiento) for help. Wear waterproof boots and gloves when you enter.

Call 112 if there is urgent danger. For other help, such as emergency housing or a local damage register, contact your ayuntamiento.

Power and gas

Do not switch on electricity or use gas in a flooded home until a qualified electrician or the supplier has checked the installation.

• If the power was off, leave it off.
• Do not touch wet sockets, switches or appliances.
• If you smell gas, open the windows, avoid flames and switches, leave the building and call 112 or the gas company's emergency line.
• Do not run generators or pumps indoors. They give off carbon monoxide.

Document the damage before you clean

Photograph and film everything before you clean or throw anything away. Your insurer will want to see the damage as it was. The checklist below lists what to collect.

Clean up with health protection

Floodwater and mud carry germs. Protect yourself while you work.

• Wear waterproof boots, gloves, a mask and protective clothing.
• Wash your hands often and cover any cuts.
• Do not drink tap water until the authorities confirm it is safe. Use bottled or boiled water.
• Disinfect walls, floors and surfaces that touched floodwater with diluted bleach.
• Dry and ventilate the home quickly to limit mould.
• Throw away food that touched floodwater. Also throw away fridge and freezer food if the power was off for a long time. Porous items that cannot be cleaned should go too, once you have documented them.

Get a tetanus check if you have a wound. See a doctor for fever, diarrhoea or a wound that looks infected.

Flooded car

Do not start the engine. Water inside it can cause severe damage. Disconnect the battery if that is safe, and have the car towed to a workshop. Photograph it and keep the tow and repair invoices. The timeline below covers who to notify.

Report the damage

Tell your insurer promptly. Then work through these:

1. Call 112 if anyone is in danger.
2. Notify your ayuntamiento, which registers damage and often runs the local damage census.
3. Claim from the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros if your policy covers it. It pays for extraordinary risks such as floods when your property policy includes the surcharge. You can claim through its website or phone line, or through your insurer or broker.
4. Later, the regional government or the central government's local office handles aid applications once an official disaster declaration is made. Follow your ayuntamiento's instructions.

Procedures differ by municipality and region, so follow what your own ayuntamiento tells you.

Timeline and deadlines

• Photograph the damage to your car and tell your insurer: as soon as it is safe, before any cleaning or repair

• Notify the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros of the vehicle damage, directly or through your insurer: within 7 days of the flood

• Keep tow and repair invoices for your claim: as you pay for them

Documents you need

• Insurance policy number and your identity documents.

• Proof that you own or rent the property, such as the deeds or rental contract.

• Purchase receipts, invoices or bank records for damaged items, where you have them.

• Repair estimates and invoices for any emergency work, including tow and repair invoices for a flooded car.

• Reports from firefighters, police, Protección Civil or the town hall (ayuntamiento), if they made one.

Evidence to gather after flood damage

• Take dated photos and video of the damage before any cleaning or repair, covering the home, contents, vehicles and common areas.

• Photograph the water line height on the walls and the surroundings of the building.

• Write a list of every damaged item with a description, its age and its value.

• Keep damaged items until the insurer's loss adjuster (perito) has inspected them, and throw things away only after you have documented them.

• Gather purchase receipts, invoices or bank records for the damaged items where you have them.

• Find your insurance policy number and your identity documents (DNI or NIE).

• Collect proof that you own or rent the property, such as the deeds or rental contract, plus an empadronamiento certificate (proof of address from your town hall).

• Keep repair estimates and invoices for any emergency work you have done.

• Ask for any report made by firefighters, police, Protección Civil or the ayuntamiento about your property.

• Get an IBAN certificate from your bank for the account where aid or compensation should be paid.

• List any other aid or insurance payments you have received, since insured damage is paid first by the insurer or the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros and public aid covers the rest.

• If you run a business or are self-employed, gather your tax and Social Security registration to prove your activity.

Each insurer and each aid call sets its own document list, so check the exact list with your insurer or the office handling the aid.

What to watch out for

• Going back in too early: A flooded home can be structurally damaged, with cracks or sagging that are not obvious. Return only when the authorities say it is safe, check for cracks or sagging, and wear boots and gloves.

• Power and gas: Wet sockets and appliances are a shock risk, and gas can leak.

• Starting a flooded car: Turning the key with water in the engine can destroy it and may cost you your claim. Do not start it. Disconnect the battery if safe, have it towed, and tell your insurer promptly.

• Cleaning before documenting: Cleaning or throwing things away first can leave you without proof of the damage. Photograph everything first, then contact your insurer, your town hall and, if your policy covers it, the Consorcio.

Frequently asked questions

Can I start my car after it has been flooded?

No, do not start a flooded car, because water in the engine can cause severe damage.

Who pays for flood damage to my car?

The Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros, a state body for extraordinary risks, generally pays if you have a valid motor policy, even without own-damage cover. You claim through its helpline or website, or through your insurer.

When should I see a doctor after cleaning up?

See a doctor if you get fever, diarrhoea or an infected wound. Ask for a tetanus check if you cut yourself. Be careful with generators and pumps indoors because of carbon monoxide.