When it rains, it pours, but it’s generally not considered a good thing when it happens to your house. When flooding occurs in your home, it can damage your precious belongings, ruin your flooring and paint, and even pose a threat to your physical and mental health.
But it doesn’t mean that you can’t fight back, right? If you’re wondering what to do if your house floods, here are a few steps you can take to get through the mess and find yourself on the other side in the best possible way.
Read on to learn the four most crucial steps to take if you ever find your house flooded.
1. Keeping Everyone Safe
If your house is just starting to flood, you can try to stop the water from coming in by sealing off any openings. If the water is already inside, first ensure that everyone is safe.
If there are children, seniors, or pets in the household, move them to a temporary shelter or, at least, to the highest level in your home where they can be safe. Then you can work on moving your material valuables as well.
2. Calling Your Insurance Company
After keeping everyone safe, call your homeowners insurance company and inform them of your situation. You need to take pictures and videos of the damage to prove that the disaster happened.
Documenting everything is very important because, sometimes, the insurance company will not give you the amount you deserve. In that case, you may need to hire legal experts like those in this law firm.
In any case, remember not to start your cleanup until the insurance adjuster gives you the go signal.
3. Cleaning Your Home
Cleaning a flooded home can be a hazard because of the floodwater, which is likely contaminated with various disease-causing microorganisms, from bacteria to viruses, etc. That’s why, in most cases, you’ll want to hire professionals to do it.
Water damage companies will have all the equipment and cleaning materials needed to give a thorough clean, including drying the area to the point of safety. As you know, moisture can breed harmful molds and mildew.
If you don’t have the budget to hire a cleaner, you can do the job yourself, but make sure to disinfect and dry every surface thoroughly at the end of the process.
4. Preventing Future Flooding
There are many things you can do to avoid another home flooding disaster. For example, check your drainage system and see if there’s anything you can do to improve it.
Another thing you can do is install floodgates or raise your home’s elevation. You can also plant more water-absorbing vegetation around your property and redirect runoff away from your home.
You can also dry-proof your home by raising the thresholds of your doors and improving sealing around your doors and windows.
The Gist of What to Do If Your House Floods
After reading the four steps above, it should be clear how to handle a flooding situation in your home. If it just happened to you, you know what to do if it ever occurs again.
If you’re just being proactive, the above steps can serve as your guide as you consider what to do if your house floods.
Are you looking to be proactive in other areas of your life? We have many tips and advice on a variety of topics that you might take an interest in. Keep reading our blogs!
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