The first is direct flood damage as a result to a flood. This includes items and property that are damaged directly by the flood waters. These things are things like water damage to the house and personal property, the cost with fighting the flood, cost of temporary housing and so on. This is very easy to figure out. A good way to find out how much money you are out due to water damage is to have a detailed inventory of the valuables way before the event ever happens. As major items are purchased for the home, write them down somewhere that is safe. The best place for that would be in an email box online.

Indirect flood damage is the next and includes damage that is caused by the flood but are intangible. These are things like lost business, lost profits, and environmental damage. Indirect damage is a lot harder to assess than direct damage.

Now that we know the difference between the two, let's look at ways to assess exactly how much damage has been done. It's good to keep a notebook as you go through the house so that you don't forget anything. Start with the outside and look for cracks in the exterior walls or seeping paint. In the foundation, look for any sign that a major shift may have happened. Check if there are large rocks and debris that weren't there before and also, assess the condition of the lawn. Sometimes there will be some ground that will be washed away, exposing very dangerous gas and sewage lines that lie underneath.

As you make your way through the house, look for cracks on walls, cracks on the floors, and anything that is generally out of place. If there is moisture on the walls, you can take a screwdriver and try to poke a hole in the wall to see if there is any water still within the framing of the house. Depending on how much water got into the house, the electrical system may not work or may be very dangerous to turn back on. This is something that will have to be assessed by a qualified electrician to determine how much damage has been done. Another thing to check is if the carpet has been damaged by only the top carpet layer or the entire thickness including the wooden base on which the floors rest upon.

As you are going through the house, keep in mind what condition the roof is in. If the entire house was flooded, then the roof may have been damaged in some way. However, if you are experiencing roof damage, chances are the entire house is doing a lot worse.

After you assess how much flood damage has happened to the home, keep track of receipts that come from relocating or buying new items to replace flood-damaged ones. Take all of these into consideration when figuring out how much damage the flood has caused.