Storms, hurricanes and floods are such that no one can stop them and when they come they usually carry with havoc and wide scale destruction. During most of these floods and storms, water though does not creep into the first or the second floor but clearly leave you with a flooded basement. Although not so apocalyptic but yes the standing water is quite enough to take away your mental piece and at the same time leave you with a lot of mess to deal with.
Below are some guidelines which would help you effectively in dealing with your flooded basement.
Before entering in to your flooded basement, make sure that you have done the following things:
* Switch off electricity, fuel or gas valves. * Check out the outside walls for structural damage, cave-in and other hazards. * Give vent to fresh air by opening your windows and doors.
After you have done all the above things, also ensure that you have taken snaps of the devastation, so that you would be able to show them to your insurance company. Also, make a list of all the expenses occurred.
Now follow these steps to get your life back on track or back to normal.
Pumping: You can take the help of wetvac, a vacuum cleaner for water, to pump your water from your flooded basement. Drain water through this and empty it in an unused trash can and then dump the same outside. Though this procedure is time consuming but it one of the effective measures that you can take, considering you want to do it your way. Other than this, you can also take the help of sump pump.
However, when you consider doing to your way, you need to follow some basic things - if you are using an electric pump the try to power the same with an outside line and avoid using your own power line. Moreover, if you are pumping the water too quickly, then it might pose a threat to your walls and other structures, so always pump out water in stages.
Cleaning: Now, after you have successfully pumped out water from your flooded basement, it is time to start the cleaning procedure. Remove things that you can dry and dump things that you cannot. Wear gloves, eye gears and other protective coverings while you remove contaminated and soaked items. Though it is not necessary, but precaution is always better than cure. Besides, shovel all the mud and other debris from the floor before they gets dried up.
Sanitize both the walls and floor and if possible salvage the walls to get rid of as much filth as possible. Moreover, if you want to accelerate the drying process, then you can take the help of either dehumidifier or turn the heater on.
Repair: Your basement may also require some amount of structural repair after you are done with pumping and cleaning of your flooded basement. Take minute notes about the damage and make sure you have repaired the same as soon as possible.
However, the main thing is that, you keep your calm as pumping and cleaning of your flooded basement might take a long time. Besides, you can also take the help of companies and organizations dealing in flooded basement pumping, cleaning and repair.
First of all you need to define what "normalcy" is for your new family. It may not look like it did before. You will need to think about what a normal day will look like for you. Then it's time to bring the kids in and ask their opinions as well. Be prepared for some sarcastic or sad comments that lean toward wanting things to be as they used to be. Don't avoid these conversations. Accepting that what "used to be" is gone is part of the grieving process that your kids need to go through. Try to make it a productive conversation though.
You may need to start off by sharing some of your ideas for a normal day in order to get them talking. You're not looking for earth shaking ideas right now. It's just the beginning of this journey together. This is the starting point and you will grow from here.
Secondly, some type of routine needs to be in place. This doesn't have to be rigid. It just needs to be something that you and your kids can count on. That will provide a sense of security for all of you. Now that school's back in session, part of that schedule has already been created for you. Your kids have school to go to. They will have homework that needs to be done. Dinner will need to be eaten. Beyond those things, decide what if anything else needs to be added. This routine can be daily, weekly or even monthly.
Making time for each other was very important to a family I did some coaching with. In order to accomplish this, they agreed that on the weekends they were with their mother, they would go out for breakfast on Saturday mornings. This agreement was very important to them. The children chose to never stay the night at friends' houses on Friday unless they knew their mom could pick them up in time to do this "ritual.". It was an opportunity to just be together and talk if they felt like it or just "hang" (as the teenage daughter described it).
Finally, don't forget to have fun! Yes, there's a lot that has to get done. Yes, the kids may be sad about their family changing. You may even be sad about the family changing. But life shouldn't always be sad, especially when children are around. Fun doesn't always equate with money. You can still cuddle up on the couch and watch TV, have a pillow fight or throw a ball around, even if money's really tight right now.
Start off by doing those things that you used to do together for fun. Out of those, create new "fun" activities. It's those fun activities that bind us to one another. Even if they aren't showing it much these days, you kids love you. Strengthen that love by investing time, not money to create fun moments with them.
Time is the healer of all things. It will take time for things to "feel" normal. It's just something you have to walk out and experience to create a normal that is uniquely yours now. These three steps will be great guides to help you achieve that prize at the end of this journey.
Both Isolde Werry & Alyssa Johnson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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