Dealing with flood damage is a serious matter, especially in cases of severe flooding where homes, neighborhoods, villages or many city blocks have been suddenly inundated with 10 feet of water. Consequences of severe flooding can also include complete destruction of highways and other roadways, service structures, softening and erosion of the ground around building foundations, and the filling of lower levels and/or basements with contaminated mud and silt, sewage, gasoline and oil. The City of New Orleans was a prime example of severe flood damage following Hurricane Katrina.
One must deal with flood damage with a sense of courage, order and logic. As the water starts to subside, one can begin to deal with the flood damage within his/her immediate vicinity.
Safety should come first. Do not enter a home or building unless it has been deemed safe by someone qualified to do so. Upon entering your home, have a camera with you to take pictures for documentation of the extent of flood damage. Pictures are indeed worth a thousand words in assessing the damage to an insurance adjuster. Before going inside, wear protective clothing - at least boots and gloves. The potential for sewage contaminants exists after a flood. Wet carpets and rugs including furniture can harbor mold and fungus growth of which we don't want to ingest.
Make your assessment of the damage and decide how you would want to clean it. It may be that it is so bad and you will hire a professional cleaner. A professional cleaning company though expensive as they may be, sometimes is the best choice. If it is something you can do on your own, act quickly. Clear your home of all unsalvageable items and have it hauled to your landfill. Keeping flood damaged items piled up outside your home can create a hazard. On the other hand, burning it outside can release mold spores into the air which could cause an epidemic.
Restoring electric power in your home is the next important step. Have an electrician check the electrical connections before turning on any power inside your flood-damaged home. Likewise, plumbing concerns should also be handled by an expert. You must make sure that your sewage pipes and fixtures are capable of handling your waste water. You must also get your fresh-water piping checked. Any damage to these could have let bacteria or other contaminants in your system, causing illness or even death. If you have well water it is very important to sanitize your well as soon as you have electrical power. To do this, I suggest you just pour 5% bleach, unscented only, into the well and circulate it through the well. Then open your faucets and close them when you smell the bleach. It is optimal to let it set for 24 hours to kill any bacterial growth.
Just like in fire safety drills, practice flood safety on a regular basis. Safety of life is of the first concern. Remember, properties can be replaced no matter what the cost but human life once gone cannot be replaced.
At first, it may be hard to cope with the aftermath of flood damage but once you are focused on recovery, everything will be put in order.
