Flooding

During a Flood

Keeping You and Your Home Safe

If you’re experiencing a flood, do these things so you can be as safe as possible:

• When a flood happens, it’s wise to go for higher ground that’s not susceptible to being washed out.
• Driving through roadways blocked with flowing water or trying to walk across a stream should be avoided at all costs.
• Try to make it to your roof, attic, or top floor if you are unable to escape your house when a flood starts.
• Ensure that you have a battery operated radio on hand at all times; this will keep you up-to-date on the latest storm information.
• If the radio is giving advice to protect yourself, follow it. You should shut off all your utilities at the main power switch. You may also need to turn off the main gas valve to prevent further damage.
• Flood water can be hazardous, be sure to use clean water and soap if you come into any contact with flood water.

After a Flood

Road to Recovery

Your home restoration projects should begin the moment the water levels decrease. Here are some of the things you can do to start restoring your home:

• Get in touch with your insurance company right away if there has been property damage, so you can file a claim immediately.
• Thoroughly inspect your home for structural damage or other issues. You don’t want to enter a home that may collapse and leave your family trapped.
• Attempt to salvage your personal property, and take photos of the flood damages inside your home.
• Keep track of anything that was damaged in the flood. Find receipts and mark down an item’s purchase date/value. Also, be sure to take pictures of any items that need to be thrown out because they are too damaged.
• Never turn your power back on until your home can be inspected by a professional electrician.
• Before you resume drinking water from the faucet again, be sure to boil it first until your local authorities declare that the drinking water is safe for consumption.
• Get rid of any items or furniture that are soaking wet because they’ll lead to mold problems.
• Be sure to wear boots and gloves when disinfecting your home. It’s okay to use a pine-oil cleaner or bleach on wet items after they are completely dry, and observe them over the next few days just to be sure no mold or fungus is growing on them.