Flood Cleanup in Tyler & East Texas

Flooding in the Tyler-Longview area

Tyler, Longview, and the surrounding East Texas counties sit inside the National Weather Service Shreveport, Louisiana, county warning area, which covers 21 East Texas counties. Flash flood warnings and flood watches for heavy rain events in this region are issued by that office.

The Sabine River runs near and below Longview, and it has flooded homes in the past. Moderate to major flooding on the Sabine has closed roads and reached homes near Hollybrook Drive and Airline Road in Longview, and heavy rain on the Sabine in April 2024 was severe enough to trigger a disaster declaration in neighboring Panola County. Beyond named rivers, flash flooding in East Texas most often comes from intense, slow-moving thunderstorms overwhelming creeks, low-water crossings, and drainage in areas that normally stay dry. If you need flood cleanup in Tyler or a storm response crew in Longview, you can be connected free, any time of day.

Cleanup steps after a flood

1. Do not re-enter until it is safe. Wait for local officials to confirm the area is clear, and stay out if there is any standing water near downed power lines or if the structure looks unstable.
2. Turn off utilities if you can do so safely. Shut off electricity at the breaker if the panel is dry and reachable, and shut off gas if you smell it or suspect a leak.
3. Document everything before you touch anything. Photograph and video the damage, water lines on walls, and any items you plan to discard.
4. Remove standing water. A wet/dry vacuum or sump pump works for smaller amounts; a restoration company will bring pumps and extraction equipment for larger volumes.
5. Discard anything porous that touched floodwater. Carpet and carpet pad, drywall that stayed wet, insulation, particleboard furniture, mattresses, and most upholstered items generally cannot be sanitized and should be thrown out.
6. Dry everything else fast. Open windows if the outside air is drier than inside, run fans and dehumidifiers, and remove baseboards or drill small holes in wet drywall to let wall cavities dry.
7. Clean and disinfect hard surfaces that had contact with floodwater before anyone spends time in the space.
8. Watch for mold over the following days and weeks, especially in spaces that could not be fully dried within 24 to 48 hours.

Safety around floodwater

Treat any floodwater as contaminated, even if it looks clear. Wear rubber gloves and boots, avoid letting floodwater touch open cuts, and wash your hands and any exposed skin with soap and clean water after contact. Do not use gas-powered pumps, generators, or pressure washers indoors or in an enclosed space, since they produce carbon monoxide. Do not turn on wet electrical fixtures or use standing appliances until an electrician or a restoration professional has checked them.

Watch your footing on wet flooring and rugs, since they can hide a step-down, a broken tile, or exposed nails from swollen baseboards. If you have young children or pets, keep them out of the affected area entirely until cleanup is complete, both because of contamination and because drying equipment, extension cords, and open wall cavities create extra hazards.

Why floodwater is treated differently

Restoration professionals classify floodwater as Category 3, meaning it is grossly contaminated and can carry pathogenic or toxigenic agents. Floodwater can pick up sewage, agricultural and lawn chemicals, road runoff, and whatever else it passes over on its way into your home. That is a different starting point than a clean water leak from, say, a supply line, and it is why flood cleanup calls for stronger precautions, faster material removal, and more thorough disinfection than ordinary water damage restoration involves.

If sewage has backed up into your home along with the floodwater, sewage cleanup requires additional handling. If materials could not be dried within a day or two, ask about a mold inspection as part of the same visit; see our mold remediation page for what that involves.

Why your homeowners policy will not pay for this

A standard Texas homeowners policy does not cover flood damage; flood needs a separate NFIP or private flood policy. The Texas Department of Insurance is direct about this, noting that the exclusion applies whether the water comes from heavy rain, an overflowing creek or river, or storm surge. Texas carries real flood risk both along the coast and through the central and northern part of the state, and TDI points out that more than half of the homes flooded during Hurricane Harvey sat outside any officially mapped flood zone, meaning “not in a flood zone” does not mean “no flood risk.”

Flood coverage comes from two places: the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), run through FEMA, or a private flood insurance policy. Both typically carry a 30-day waiting period before coverage takes effect, so a policy bought right before or during a flood usually will not help with that flood. There are limited exceptions, such as buying a policy at the same time as a new or refinanced mortgage, or a shortened waiting period after a flood zone remap. If your policy has lapsed, expect the same 30-day wait before coverage comes back.

If you already have flood insurance and are filing a claim, see our insurance and water damage guide for how claims and documentation generally work, and confirm your specific flood policy’s terms with your agent or the NFIP directly.