What to Do if Your House Floods: 4 Necessary Steps
You might be surprised to learn that approximately ninety percent of natural disasters in the United States involve flood damage. Household flooding is not only a very common problem, it can also be extremely expensive for any homeowner. In fact, the average flood damage claim tends to cost tens of thousands of dollars.
If your house floods, acting quickly can save you considerable sums of money and prevent further damage. However, to do this, you need to know exactly what to do if your house floods. This brief guide will break down four crucial steps you should take in the event of a household flood.
Table of Contents
1. What To Do If Your House Floods: Put On Safety Gear
When you experience home flooding, you should use extreme caution before navigating the flood waters. Flood waters can harbor all kinds of harmful bacteria that can lead to sickness and infection.
As much as you might feel the inclination to jump right in to make repairs and salvage whatever you can from the flood damage, you should equip yourself with protective gear at the very least. Rubber gloves and waterproof pants are essential for any work inside a flooded house and are a must-have when preparing for any emergency.
2. Save What You Can
With your protective gear on, your first task should be working to salvage any valuables you can. After all, not every item touched by flood damage within your home is lost, you just need to work quickly.
Once you recover the items, be sure to remove them from your home and find a safe place for them outside. The drier outdoor air will be the best bet for making sure any damage isn’t permanent.
3. Document the Damage
It should go without saying that, if your home floods, you better hope you have home insurance!
Obviously, if you have home insurance, you will want to prepare a claim right away. Be sure to take photos of the damage and keep track of exactly what valuables and structural components of your home will need to be replaced. The more thorough you are in documenting the cost of the damages, the more financially protected you will be when getting a flood insurance quote.
4. Call a Flood Damage Restoration Service
Equipped with the right set of fans and pumps, removing flood waters and circulating air within the damaged parts of your home may be a project you can take on yourself.
However, no matter the causes of a flood, you’d be far safer leaving the job to professionals. A licensed flood damage restoration service will have the right equipment to fix as much damage within the shortest timeline, offering the best protection of your investment in your home. A licensed flood damage restoration service will have the right equipment to fix as much damage within the shortest timeline, offering the best protection of your investment in your home.
Stay In-the-Know and Protect Your Home
Knowing what to do if your house floods is only one of many ways that keeping yourself informed can save you incalculable money and stress.
Stay up-to-date with our feed for even more of the most vital in health, tech, auto, and more!