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Last week, heavy rainfall gave way to massive flooding across Eastern Kentucky. Communities were devastated as the floodwaters swept away cars, ruined houses and claimed dozens of lives. Unfortunately, it’s believed that additional rain this week may lead to even more flooding in the state.

►Related: As historic flooding raged, Kentucky woman survived by binding herself to her kids with vacuum cord​​​​​​

Flooding can damage electrical equipment, ruin appliances, destroy belongings and leave mold and sewage in its wake. Even if you’re not experiencing the current flood in Kentucky, you’re still at risk of flooding. Flood Defenders, a non-profit dedicated to advocating for better flood protection, states that flooding is common across the entire nation. Owing to rising sea levels, they go on to state that flooding will become even more frequent in the coming years. If that wasn’t enough, come winter, low temperatures can lead to frozen, and in turn, burst pipes. After a pipe gives out, unless water plumbing is shut off, flooding is likely to follow.

If flooding occurs, it's important to address the water in your home—fast. Before you begin, you'll need to make sure your home is safe to do so. If your home or area is safe to start cleaning up after storm aftermath or a recent pipe burst, here's what you should do to clean up before a professional service arrives.

Find the source of the flooding

First thing’s first, you’ll want to prevent even more water from entering your home. To do this, you will need to figure out where the water is coming from. If you see the first signs of a pipe burst like unexpected puddles or a change in water pressure in your faucets, act fast and turn off your home’s water.

Courtney Wilkinson, vice president of Benjamin Franklin Plumbing vice president, says your priority should be locating the shut-off valve by your home’s water meter. In many cases, the water meter is located in the basement or outside beneath a water meter grate.