From flooded basements after heavy rains to a flooded yard, any type of flooding can lead to extensive damage. And even if your house sits on a hill, you can still experience this damaging issue.
Knowing what to do during and after a flood helps reduce your stress level and improve your chances of bouncing back sooner rather than later. Help yourself feel less overwhelmed if a flood occurs by following some simple steps.
Avoid Walking Into the Floodwaters
You may be tempted to put on your boots and wade through your flooded home or property. However, this can prove dangerous. Floodwaters are unpredictable, and flooded areas can hide a host of issues from exposed electrical wires to toxic sewage.
Do your best to stay away from any flooded places unless you have to navigate them to get to higher ground.
Document Any Flood Damage
After floodwaters recede, take out your smartphone and document all visible flood damage. You may also want to create a list of items destroyed or damaged because of the flooding. These might include furnishings, carpeting, walls, vehicles and even personal papers.
The more documentation you have, the easier it will be to prove your losses.
Call Your Homeowner’s Insurance Company
In order to start a claim post-flood, you need to give your homeowner’s insurance company a call. Talk to the agent about everything that happened, and plan to answer some questions.
Ideally, you will want to contact the insurance company before doing any kind of repairs or restorative work on your house. The insurance agent may suggest using a preferred flood restoration provider that can quickly and effectively bring your home back to code. Plus, the insurer will want to send an adjuster to your home as part of the claims process.
With that being said, you can feel free to clean up excess water as long as you can do it without putting yourself at risk. For example, many homeowners who experience small or large house floods choose to buy a wet/dry vaccuum to pull up excess water from flooring. Fans can also dry lingering post-flood moisture.
Avoid Living in Your Home After Some Types of Flooding
Was a large portion of your home damaged by flooding? Did the flood cause mold to develop, leaving a mildew odor in the air that you can smell wherever you go in the house? Under these circumstances, you may not be able to safely live in your residence until after repairs have been made.
Again, talk with your insurance agent or the insurance adjuster to discuss reimbursement for hotel or other stays. Another, less costly, option could be to stay with family or friends until your property is deemed livable. And depending upon the cause of your flood, such as a river overflowing, you may be eligible for federal assistance through a government-run agency like FEMA.
Though experiencing a flood can make life more complicated, moving forward with a plan helps you get back to normal more quickly.