What To Do & What Not To Do After Flood Damage

No doubt water is a boon and a life saving resource. But when nature goes wild, it can transform a blessing to curse. Flood is something you can’t control and it is bound to cause damage to a great extent. Your premises are the most affected during and after a flood. After the damage is done, you need to be careful with your next steps to ensure safety and quick restoration. Here’s a compact guide to help you on what to do and what not to do after flood damage.

What to do?

• Turn the main electricity supply off. Electricity and water make a dangerous combination. To avoid any accidents, you should keep it disconnected till it’s safe.
• Remove electronics and other important things from the basement or low lying areas. Shift small movable items upstairs. In case of heavy electronic appliances, you can raise them up with the help of bricks.
• Keep enough supply of bottled drinking water.
• Switch off electricity, gas, and water connections if you are moving out. Make sure to lock everything up.
• If your premise is insured, take photographs as evidence for the insurance claim. Make a backup, if possible. You can lose the first copy in the running around and emergency like situation.
• Open all doors and windows if the rain has stopped. It will help to dry out the area and to allow fresh air in.
• If your house is too much damaged to clean it up yourself, hire

water & flood damage restoration services before causing further damage to your house and belongings. Experts can control the situation better than you can.

What not to do?

• Don’t panic. There’s a lot to do before the situation get’s normal. If you panic, things might go wrong and cause further inconvenience.
• Don’t leave your furniture on wet carpets or it will damage the furniture. Put something between the carpet and the furniture base that acts as a shield.
• Don’t use fans or vacuum cleaners to dry out the water.
• Don’t use your regular cleaning products. Flood water brings many contaminated germs with it. Mold formation is another thing you need to take care of. Act step by step and use products which not only clean the surface but kills hidden molds and germs as well.
• Don’t throw your damaged stuff out. Your insurance company might be willing to inspect them before they provide you any compensation.
• Don’t use flood water for any purposes like drinking, bathing, cleaning, or food preparation. It is contaminated with sewage and other impurities.

• Don’t go into the water clogged area when you aren’t properly equipped with rubber boots, hand gloves and masks.
• Don’t attempt to redecorate your house immediately. Let the walls and floors dry out completely. It might take some time but make sure there is no mold formation or left out contaminations before you go on with refurbishing.

Karin Glassner is the owner of Service Master By American Restoration Services, Inc, a franchised restoration and cleanup service provider operating in long Island, New York, specializing in fire damage restoration services.