If your house or business location has been flooded due to a natural disaster, your first concern is safety. Stay away from the location til government authorities state it's safe to return. When you can go back, take emergency materials and money with you. If you can get to a phone, call your insurance provider and, if essential, a flood and water damage restoration contractor.
Then, you can begin on examining the mess. Be careful with every step, since the threat of slips and falls is high. Also, be extremely mindful around appliances, gas lines and electrical devices. Using them too soon might trigger electrical shocks as well as surges. And remember that wet items can be extremely heavy. Don't injure yourself by overdoing it.
Where to Start When Inspecting Flood Damage
Your house and its contents might look beyond hope, but much of your valuables can be restored. If you do things right, your flooded home can be cleaned up, dried out, rebuilt, and reoccupied earlier than you think. While you are getting the job done ahead, you ought to remember these three essential points:
1. Play it safe. The risks are not over when the water goes down. Your home's foundation may have been damaged, the electrical system may have shorted out, and floodwaters might have left things that could make you sick. Many flooded items, such as wallboard and bed mattress, will hold mud and contamination permanently. When in doubt, throw it out. Don't risk injury or infection.
2. Request for aid. Lots of people can do a great deal of the clean-up and repair work talked about in this book. However if you have technical questions or do not feel comfy doing something, get expert help. If there is a federal catastrophe declaration, a telephone "hotline" will often be advertised to supply details about public, personal, and voluntary programs to help you recover from the flood. Federal government catastrophe programs are there to assist you, the taxpayer. You're paying for them; check them thoroughly.
3. Floodproof. It is highly probable that your house will be flooded again sooner or later. Floodproofing means utilizing products and practices that will avoid or reduce flood damage in the future. Numerous floodproofing methods are economical or can be easily integrated into your rebuilding program. You can save a great deal of money by floodproofing as you repair and restore. You need to also get ready for the next flood by buying flood insurance and writing a flood response strategy.
In Conclusion: Don't Underestimate Flood Damage
Don't underestimate flood water in unwanted locations: even if your basement only has an inch of water in it, or is just damp, it can provide the ideal breeding place for mold. Mold development not just ruins walls, furniture, carpets, flooring, etc., but it can also cause bad indoor air quality triggering respiratory problems including asthma, and can cause severe sickness. Avoiding mold development is essential to keeping your home's air clean and healthy. So after the location has dried out, especially wood beams, insulation, drywall, etc., utilize a good disinfectant to get rid of any germs that might have turned up through sewers, toilets, etc. Gloves Off Disinfectant, is a non-toxic but effective disinfectant. Disinfect all areas impacted by the flood waters consisting of walls and wood and non-upholstered furniture that were stained by flood water.
