Having a flood in your home, either caused by Mother Nature or by a burst pipe, can be traumatic. Until you’ve been through this sort of disaster, you might not know what you need to do, which can leave you helpless and confused if it does actually ever happen to you.
No matter the cause of the flood, here is what you need to do immediately after a flood:
Stay Safe
Especially if the flood was a natural disaster, there are certain steps you should take to mitigate any other disasters from taking place. This includes turning off your water and electricity. You do not want to create an additional issue by having your water line active and you certainly do not want to mix electricity with standing water—so turn these things off and contact your local utilities providers for an inspection before turning them back on.
Document
Before moving, touching, or trying to fix anything, take pictures of the damage done to your home. This is the best way to make sure that you have documentation of the situation for insurance purposes. For more information on this, read our recent post on creating a home inventory.
Protect Yourself
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make after floods is letting the water contaminate their food, drinking water, and bodies. Protect yourself from the water—even if it looks clean, it probably isn’t. Wear protective boots and gloves during the cleaning process and throw away anything that might have been touched by the water. Boil water before drinking until you are told it is safe to do otherwise.
Contact Your Insurance Company
As soon as possible after the flood occurs, call your insurance company. If the flood was a natural disaster that affected many people in your area, they are likely getting inundated with calls—but call anyway. Make sure to tell your representative about how damaged your home is and what repairs you need to make. Listen to their suggestions and be sure to keep them informed. For answers to frequently asked flood insurance questions, check our flood insurance FAQ section, here.
Get Rid of the Water and Fight Mold
Once your insurance company has told you it is alright to get rid of the water, it’s time to start pumping it or vacuuming it (with a wet vac). Open all of your doors and windows to allow airflow to start drying out your home.
