A flood claim goes to your NFIP or private flood carrier, not to your homeowners insurer — they are separate policies and a homeowners claim will be denied for flood water. Report it the day you find it. NFIP requires a signed Proof of Loss, normally within 60 days of the loss, and the documentation you gather in the first hours is what it is built from: video of every affected room before anything is moved, photographs of the high-water line, a list of damaged contents with what you paid, and receipts for emergency mitigation.
Rhode Island renters and homeowners in Central Falls should know that a renters insurance policy with a water damage rider can cover personal property losses from sewage backups, a critically important protection given the city's aging combined sewer network and dense multi-family housing stock. Mitigation is not optional — every policy requires you to stop further damage, so drying starts before the adjuster arrives, and you keep the invoices.