From a pipe bursting in your house to a flash flood, water damage can strike without warning. There's nothing worse than waking up in the morning and finding standing water in your basement or laundry room. When flooding occurs, homeowners and residents have to overcome multiple obstacles to get their homes back to a safe, healthy living space.
Whether your property floods from heavy rains to pipe system failures, you may have to deal with costly property repairs, unsanitary conditions, and a long clean-up process. Use these helpful guidelines to properly prepare for, stay safe during, and safely clean up after any type of flood.
- How Do I Prepare For a Flood?
- What To Do During a Flood
- How To Recover From a Flood
- Additional Resources
- Need Even More Answers?
How Do I Prepare For a Flood?
Sometimes you may know that flooding is a possibility but many times you may have no advance warning. Flash floods can develop in minutes with no visible rainfall, and flooding caused by a drainage failure can pop up unexpectedly. Because of this unpredictability, it's important to know what to do in order to prepare your home for a flood.
- Do Buy Adequate Flood Insurance: Most homeowner's insurance policies don't cover damage caused by floods, so you should contact your agent about purchasing flood insurance.
- Do Make Sure Electrical and HVAC Systems Are Protected: As a rule of thumb, these systems should be at least 12 inches above the flood elevation to help protect against water damage.
- Do Construct Barriers: Building levees, beams, and flood walls around your property can help stop floodwater from entering.
- Don't Forget Dry Flood Proofing: This involves sealing all exterior property areas below the flood protection level so that they are watertight. Walls can be coated with a waterproof sealant, and watertight shields can be installed over doors, windows, and other valuable openings.
- Do Take Steps When You Know a Flood is Coming: Right before a flood, you can also consider putting sandbags around doors and windows.
- Don't Forget Last Minute Preparations: If you think a flood is about to hit, be sure to turn off your power and prepare a kit full of emergency supplies just in case. The Department of Homeland Security has tips on what to include in your home's emergency kit.
What To Do During a Flood
If a pipe is leaking or has burst, you may just need to turn off the water and start the cleanup process. But what if you're dealing with widespread flooding from a storm. If you learn that a major flood is likely to happen in your area, here's what you should do.
- Do Monitor the News: Use radio, television, and internet reports to stay on top of the latest information.
- Do Move to Higher Ground: In the event of a flash flood, move immediately to higher ground. Don't wait for instructions.
- Do Stay Aware: Know in advance those areas that are known to flood quickly. Flash floods can occur suddenly in areas such as streams and drainage channels.
- Do Stay Away From Floodwaters: Floodwaters can carry raw sewage, chemical waste, and other disease-spreading substances. If you come in contact with the water, wash immediately with soap and disinfected water. Never drink flood water!
- Do Evacuate if Necessary: If you're ordered to evacuate by your local government officials, secure your property by bringing outdoor furniture inside and moving essential items to upper floors. Turn off utilities at the main switches and disconnect electrical appliances.
How to Recover From a Flood
Again, if you're dealing with minor flooding from a leak then you probably didn't have to leave your home. However, there are some steps that you should take whether you're dealing with minor or major flooding.
After a major flood, first, ensure it's safe to return to your property and inspect the damage. Floods can have more than one peak, so listen to advice given by emergency officials before returning to your property.
After doing so, follow these steps to cope with the damage, clean-up, and recovery.
- Don't Forget to Contact Your Insurance Company: Your insurance agent will be your best guide through the process of filing a claim if necessary, documenting the damage, and starting the cleanup process.
- Do Enter With Caution: Before entering the damaged property or area, look for hazards such as cracks in the foundation, gas leaks, broken power lines, and leaking chemicals.
- Do Remove Wet Contents Immediately: Mold can begin to grow on wet carpets, furniture, bedding, and other high moisture-retaining items within 24 to 48 hours of saturation. Take these items out, clean them thoroughly, and ensure that they are completely dry and fungus-free before bringing them back inside.
- Do Ventilate and Dry: On dry days, open your windows and doors to let air inside to help dry out the interior of your property. Consider using a heavy-duty dryer or air mover to expedite the process and dry carpeting, upholstery, walls, and more.
- Do Extract Standing Water: A large amount of standing water can be pumped out gradually either by using a heavy-duty water pump shop vac or by employing a professional water extraction service. For floods of a few inches, scooping up water with a bucket — while wearing the right protective gear to prevent exposure to bacteria — may be your best bet.
- Do Dehumidify To Reduce Odors: Extracting excess moisture from the air will not only speed the drying process, but it will also help eliminate musty odors and prevent mold and mildew growth. A basement dehumidifier is a great solution for prevention.
- Don't Forget to Restore Indoor Air Quality: If mold and odors are still present after the water removal, drying, and cleaning process, consider using an air purifier to help filter out impurities from the air. Air purifiers are a great way to rid your home of any indoor air pollutants, whether they're caused by floods or anything else.
Additional Flood Resources
For more information on flood preparation, safety, and recovery, visit these helpful sites:
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