Overview
When disaster hits your home, knowing who to call and where to turn saves precious time. This local guide pulls together the resources South Bay homeowners may need before, during, and after a water, fire, or storm emergency — alongside the immediate steps to take. (Verify all contact details below before relying on them; numbers and links change.)
First: immediate emergency steps
- Life-threatening emergency or active fire? Call 911.
- Gas leak or electrical hazard? Leave the area and call 911 first. PG&E lists 1-800-743-5000 for downed power lines and emergency follow-up after calling 911.
- Water flooding the home? Shut off your main water valve, ensure electrical safety, and call a restoration company. We answer 24/7: (408) 639-5349.
Utility & shut-off resources
- PG&E (gas & electric) — for gas emergencies or downed power lines, leave the area and call 911 first; PG&E lists 1-800-743-5000 for emergency follow-up and 1-800-743-5002 for outage reporting.
- Your local water provider (for example San Jose Water, Great Oaks Water, or your city's utility) — use the provider's official emergency or customer-service line for water service issues and main shut-off questions.
- Know the location of your home's main water shut-off before an emergency — it's the most useful 30 seconds you'll spend.
Flood & storm resources
- Santa Clara Valley Water (Valley Water) — flood information, flood-ready guidance, creek and county flood resources: valleywater.org/flooding-safety/flood-ready and valleywater.org/floodzone.
- City emergency management (San Jose Office of Emergency Management and your specific city) — alerts, storm preparedness, sandbag information during storms, and emergency updates; San Jose publishes storm guidance at sanjoseca.gov/stormprep.
- County alerts — sign up for AlertSCC, Santa Clara County's emergency alert system, at oem.santaclaracounty.gov/sign-up-for-alerts, or use your county's equivalent alert system.
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center — check your property's flood-zone status at msc.fema.gov, FEMA's official public source for flood hazard mapping.
Recovery & assistance resources
- 211 Bay Area — dial 211 for local health and human-services help, including disaster resources.
- American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region — disaster relief, emergency shelter information, preparedness resources, and local help through redcross.org/local/california/northern-california-coastal.html.
- Your insurance company — open claims promptly; have your policy number ready. (See how to file a water damage claim and insurance claims help.)
What to do first, by emergency type
- Water/flood: shut off water, ensure electrical safety, document, call us — see what to do when the rainy season floods your home.
- Fire: ensure safety, wait for fire-department clearance, contact your insurer — see what to do immediately after a house fire.
- Sewage backup: keep everyone away, don't DIY, call professionals — see sewage backup: health risks & what NOT to do.
- Storm: safety first, then the after-storm damage checklist.
Where US Creative Restoration fits in
For the cleanup and restoration itself — water extraction and drying, fire and smoke cleanup, mold remediation, and sewage cleanup — we're your local, IICRC-certified team across San Jose and 17 South Bay & Peninsula cities (see all service areas). We're available 24/7, on-site fast, and we work directly with your insurance so you're not navigating recovery alone.
Keep this handy
Bookmark this page and save (408) 639-5349 in your phone now — the best time to know your resources is before you need them.