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Immediately (safety first)

• Water source shut off (main valve, appliance valve, or fixture)
• Electricity cut to affected rooms, only if the panel is dry and safe to reach
• Everyone kept clear of water that may have touched sewage or risen from outside
• HVAC switched off if vents or ducts may have taken water

Before any cleanup - document the loss

• Wide photos of every affected room, from the doorway and each corner
• Video walkthrough narrating what happened and when you found it
• Close-ups of the water source (burst pipe, tank, appliance, roof entry point)
• Photos of the waterline on walls and furniture
• Every damaged item photographed individually before it is moved
• Serial numbers and model numbers of damaged appliances and electronics captured
• Nothing thrown away before it is photographed and listed

When you call your insurer

• Claim number written down
• Deductible and water damage limits confirmed
• Asked whether anything specific must be documented before cleanup continues
• Asked whether sewer backup or flood endorsements apply (if relevant)
• Date, time and name of the person spoken to recorded

During mitigation and drying

• Receipts kept for everything spent preventing further damage
• Restoration company's scope of work saved to the claim file
• Initial moisture readings / moisture map copy requested
• Daily drying logs kept as equipment runs
• Photos of removed materials (flood cuts, flooring, pad) before disposal

For the adjuster visit

• All photos and videos organized in one folder, by room
• Inventory list of damaged items with approximate age and value
• Receipts, estimates and the scope of work printed or shareable
• Moisture documentation from the restoration company to hand
• Notes from every insurer call, with dates and names

Unfamiliar terms on this list - ACV, RCV, scope of work - are all defined in the water damage glossary, and the homepage FAQ covers what Georgia policies typically pay for.