During the rainy months, flooding can come on fast and sometimes there is nothing that can be done until the storm has passed. If you are dealing with the aftermath of a flood in your neighborhood, you may feel at a loss about what to do about your flood damage. Use this step-by-step guide to clean up flood damage, get your house back to top shape again, and prevent flood damage in the future.

Prioritize Safety First

In the hours and days after a major flood, when you are trying to gather your belongings and get your house in order, remember that safety is a top priority. To avoid hazardous situations, keep away from standing water as it can be toxic and full of dangerous things like broken glass and exposed wires. You should also shut off all of your utilities before entering affected areas to avoid accidentally getting shocked by the electricity. When cleaning and moving things around, always wear protective gear like waders, thick gloves, and face masks to avoid coming into contact with dirty water.

Document the Damage

Before clearing anything up, remember to take lots of photos of the damage to your home. This will help when you start contacting people to help you through the recovery process. You can submit this documentation to a water restoration company website like the RestoreResults.com website and they can give you a quote. This documentation is also important when you notify your insurance company about your flood damage. If you can prove that all of the damage in your home was caused by flooding, then you may be covered if you have flood insurance.

Begin Water Removal and Drying

Use a water pump or a water vacuum to get rid of the majority of the standing water in your home. You can do this by renting this equipment or hiring a water removal company to come out and do it for you. This will remove the majority of the water, but not everything. With what is left, you need to open all of the windows to allow ventilation so that the wood and other materials in your house can dry properly. You may also need to mop up any excess sitting water that the pumps did not catch. 

Clean and Disinfect Thoroughly

After all of the water is out and the house is dry, it is important to go through and disinfect everything because the sitting water that entered your home from the flooding was likely full of bacteria from communal sewage and other outdoor factors. Make sure to focus on areas of the house that could be prone to mold growth as that could be a long-term problem. Check basements, corners, and inside of cabinets to make sure they are all dry and clean before replacing furniture, plates, dishes, and other home goods.

Plan for Future Floods

Once everything is repaired and clean, the last thing you can do is make some adjustments like elevating appliances and moving electrical outlets to higher locations. This will help mitigate the damage if your house floods again.

Being the victim of flood damage can feel overwhelming, but with this guide and the help of local flood recovery businesses, your home will be back to normal in no time.