At first sight, the consequences of flooding may look even more disastrous than they really are. However, if you take the right flood recovery steps, make a checklist and don`t get devastated or start acting erratically, you may easily store and bring back to life most of your belongings without any severe and mostly consequences.
In this article, we shall provide a 10-step plan that will help you get a grip on the situation and make the most out of your flood recovery process.
Step 1 - Start with yourself.
There is no point in trying to save a carpet or starting to clear floodwater out of the basement if you or one of your family members are injured, sick, or stressed out by the flooding. The main power of flood recovery is you and your wellbeing. That is why it is essential to make sure that you and your family have a safe shelter, food, water, and clean clothes until the moment the house will be safe to live in again.
Moreover, it is very dangerous to get in contact with floodwater or mud if you have open wounds, skin irritations, and other open damage.
Make sure to address officials for support and medical assistance if you need it and consult a professional if you or someone in your family suffers from anxiety, depression, or any other mental health complications caused or worsened by the flooding.
Step 2 - Make sure the house is safe.
Never try to enter your flood-damaged house until the authorities say that it is safe. Even if you got official permission to return to your property, there are many hidden dangers in your house that might have been caused by the flood.
For example, electric shock is the second most common cause of injury or death after flooding. The essential part of the flood recovery process is a careful examination of the house and eliminating all the dangers before starting to work on repairs.
Step 3 - Do the paperwork.
Make sure to contact your insurance provider as soon as possible. Flood recovery may be a pretty expensive process, and flood insurance will help you get over it with minimal losses.
Make sure to save all the receipts and documents that prove the value of things affected y floodwater. Some may not be worth repairing at all!
As you walk through the house, take lots of pictures. Photograph every corner, all the damage made by water to the building itself, furniture, electric appliance, your car, etc.
Step 4 - Get rid of floodwater.
If you didn`t have flood barriers for your home, floodwater has probably affected your basement, garage, and ground floor. Before you start any flood recovery, make sure to dry out the affected areas.
Even if you clean the walls and floors thoroughly, floodwater that may have soaked into wallpaper, wooden floors, and other materials will provoke the growth of mold, which may lead both to more damage to your property and health hazards for you.
Step 5 - Restore the stocks.
The next step of your flood recovery process is to make sure that you are safe in your own home again. Restore the stocks of food and fresh water, and make sure you have heat and electricity as well as all other utility products from toilet paper to cleaning supplies.
Step 6 - Start cleaning.
Now it is time to go through every item and see whether you will be able to clean, restore and use it again, or it is best to simply throw it away.
Go through all the food carefully. If you didn`t have flood gates in your house and floodwater has touched any products, through them away immediately, even if they were packed in nylon bags. The same is true for cosmetics and all other products.
Step 7 - Adress for assistance
Food recovery is a pretty hard process. If you see that you will have to move some heavy things or the cleaning process will require a lot of manual labor, don`t hesitate to ask for assistance. Your local authorities will probably organize volunteers. They are volunteer agencies on all levels, from National to state and regional ones. Make sure to get the contacts of such agencies beforehand, and don`t hesitate to address them when you get down to flood recovery.
Step 8 - Start mending the building.
When you revise and restore your stocks, it is time to take care of the building itself. The flooding might have damaged doors and gates, clutters drainage and gutters, and caused cracks and leaks on walls and foundation.
Inspect the whole building thoroughly and start fixing any damage and leaks immediately before they lead to severe and costly damage.
Step 9 - Let people know about your situation.
Flood recovery is the time when you can use any help you can get your hands on. Make sure that people know about your current situation. Use social media to spread the word, and you may be surprised how much assistance and help you can get from the most unexpected sources. Also, make sure to contact your friends and family. They may need your help and assistance right now.
Step 10 - Prepare for the next flooding.
Floods are happening more and more often worldwide, and there is a big chance that the disaster will knock on your door again very soon.
After you have finished the flood recovery process, you definitely don`t want to go through it again. That is why it is essential to take all the possible measures to prevent flood damage in the future.
Modern flood control solutions will help you keep the floodwater away and preserve your belongings and the house itself. Modern flood barriers for home are handy and efficient devices that are easy to install and remove and don`t take much storage space between floods. They seal every door passage, garage gate, or basement from floodwater and are efficient even in case of a sudden flash flooding or a major 3-foot flood.
You don`t need any special equipment, told, or skills to install and remove your flood gates, and compared to the possible costs of flood repair, they are a kind of investment that pays off thoroughly after the very first flooding.
Contact Dam Easy Flood Barriers today and learn more about modern flood control products and solutions and the most efficient ways to protect your house or business from water damage.
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