A Post-Storm Checklist
Besides immediately calling your insurance agent to file a claim for any flood damages to your property, there are some basic safety precautions you should take before re-entering your home.
- Check for structural damage before entering the house and be sure it isn't in danger of collapsing. Turn off outside gas lines at the meter or tank and if you smell gas, call your gas company.
- When you enter your home, do not use an open flame such as a match, candle or lighter for light. Gas may still be trapped inside the house. Instead, use a battery-powered flashlight.
- Be sure the electricity is turned off at the main power switch and watch for downed electrical wires. Don't turn any electrical utilities or appliances on until an electrician has checked the system for short circuits.
- Cover broken windows and holes in the roof or walls.
- Begin cleanup. There will be many potential health hazards in a flooded home. Perishable items, for instance, pose a health problem and should be photographed and listed before tossing out. You should also throw out all fresh food and medicines that have been contacted by flood water.
- Do not use the home's water supply until it has been declared safe. Until it has, drain your hot water tank or melt ice cubes if you're facing an emergency that requires water.
- Photograph the damage to your home and its contents prior to the adjustor's inspection. Your refrigerator, sofas and other hard goods should be hosed off, as well. For items you will keep, use a household cleaner. Partially damaged items should be aired and dried.
- Wooden furniture should be taken outdoors to dry but should be kept out of direct sunlight to prevent warping. Use a garage or carport if you have one. Remove drawers and other moving parts from wooden furniture but do not try to pry open a swollen drawer. Instead, take the back off the piece and push the drawers out from the rear.
- Shovel out the mud while it's moist to give your home's walls and floors a chance to dry. When plastered walls have dried, brush off the loose dirt. Then wash the walls with a household cleaner and rinse with clean water. You should always start at the bottom of the wall and work your way up. You must also clean out your heating ducts and plumbing system.
- To remove mildew from dry wood, use a solution of 1 cup liquid chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water.
- Clean metal items immediately with a cloth soaked in kerosene. You can prevent rusting by wiping the item down with a light coat of oil. Scour all of your utensils and if necessary, use a fine steel wool pad on unpolished surfaces. Scrubbing with a solution of vinegar, cream of tartar and hot water will brighten aluminum items.
- Immediately separate all laundry to avoid running colors. Clothing or household fabrics should be allowed to dry before removing dirt. You can rinse the items in lukewarm water to remove stubborn soil. Then wash with a mild detergent, rinse, and dry in sunlight.
- Flooded basements pose special problems. Drain and clean them carefully because structural damage will occur if you pump the water out too quickly. After the flood waters in the basement have subsided, drain the basement in stages, by about one-third each day.
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