Flood Restoration After The Storm

Flood damage costs taxpayers all around the world millions of dollars each year, beyond the human toll that is taken in suffering and lives. Even though governments at each level are working to reduce the flood risk, the very first line of defense is always going to rest upon the individual. Each and every individual has the responsibility to protect their home and family to their greatest ability. By taking the time to plan ahead and by taking sensible precautions you may be able to minimize flood damage. However for those individuals that are hit by a flood unexpectedly, it is always best to know a little about flood restoration.

Following a flood, it is extremely important that you restore your home back to good order immediately in order to protect your health and to prevent any further damage to your home and the contents within it. Below, you will find a handy checklist that will help you to organize your flood restoration clean-up. However, you should take into consideration that the information that is provided is only self-help advice.

Before You Begin Flood Restoration Clean-Up

Whenever you are re-entering your home after a flood, you should exercise extreme caution. You may avoid electrical shock by wearing rubber boots within an area that has been flooded with over 2 inches of standing water.

Electricity

Make sure that you keep any extension cords that are being used out of the standing water. In the event that the power is still on within the area that is flooded, you should immediately shut it off at the breaker box. In the event that conditions are wet in the area where your break box is located, you should stand on a dry board and use some sort of dry stick to turn the switch off. In the event that you need some assistance, consult with your local electrical company.

The Building

Make absolutely sure that the building is safe structurally. You should look for buckled floors or walls and watch for holes within the floor, broken glass, and several other debris that are potentially dangerous.

Water

As you may already know, flood water may be contaminated heavily by sewage and several other types of pollutants and they may pose a very serious health hazard. Through the odor, taste, and color of the water, if you suspect that your drinking water has been contaminated, you should purify it before you drink it either by boiling it for ten minutes or by adding purification tablets. In the event that you choose to chlorinate your water with some sort of non-perfumed bleaching compounds, you should add a single drop for each liter of water, or three drops per cloudy liter of water, and then allow it to stand for approximately thirty minutes before you consume the water.

During the time that you are participating in flood restoration clean-up, any household items that have been damaged by the flood should be bagged and then tagged, and later discarded based on the local regulations.