Hurricanes, thunderstorms, busted pipes, fires, tornados. Over the years, thousands of homes and businesses are impacted by flood and water damage. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOWA) over the past 30 years, the average annual loss is $7.96 billion just for flood damage. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/hic/

As a result of this, home and business computers are impacted. Computer data is either lost or destroyed. But can you recover data from a flooded hard drive? In many cases the answer is yes. Here are 3 key steps to improving data recovery after a flood.

1. Do not attempt to recover your hard drive yourself. Why? When a hard disk drive gets wet, debris and contaminants can be introduced into the drives interior. When a wet hard drive is powered up, the debris and or residual liquid will damage the delicate head stack and/or platter surface and this can cause irreparable damage to your hard drive. NEVER power up a hard drive that has been submerged in a liquid! Seek a data recovery expert. This will greatly improve your chances for a successful data recovery of your important documents and files.

2. Do not dry out your hard drive. Sounds crazy I know. However, you should keep the hard drive in a sealed container (e.g. plastic bag or plastic container) to keep the drive moist or damp. Why? This will stop the hard drive from corroding and give you the best opportunity for a successful data recovery without damaging the platter surfaces. Let your data recovery expert clean and dry the platters correctly.

3. Be safe! When dealing with wet electrical devices it is always best to play it safe. If you are unsure how best to proceed then give your data recovery expert a call. We will be happy to walk you through the process of removing your hard drive before sending it to us for recovery.


At Carolina Data Recovery, we specialize in recovering data from wet or flooded hard drives. We offer free no obligation quotes and emergency 24-hour service. Click here to contact Carolina Data Recovery.