The Complete Guide on What to Do After a Flood

Over 15 million homes are at increased risk for flooding, according to a FEMA report. So what to do after a flood?

While their report focuses on flooding related to climate change, when you account for the possibility of flooding due to internal problems, like plumbing failures, that number goes up dramatically.

So long as you use indoor plumbing, nearly every home can be at risk for flooding. You need to know what to do after a flood in your home and the steps needed to make your recovery as easy as possible.

Here is your complete guide on what to do after a flood in your home or residence.

The Immediate First Steps

Understand that it can be extremely stressful and traumatic even to come home and discover that your house has been flooded. Your home is your sanctuary and it has just been severely damaged.

If the source of the flooding is an internal failure, like a burst or disconnected pipe or plumbing leak, try to turn off the source of the water. If not, immediately shut off the water to the whole house. Stopping the water is critical.

Of course, if the source of water is from a severe weather incident, you cannot simply turn it off. In this case, try and repair the damage that caused it, such as a broken window or leaky roof. Place buckets underneath a roof leak if you can.

With severe flooding, get out of the water as soon as possible. The water can be contaminated if the water source was from external sources or from something like a septic backup. There could also be some electrical currents and you do not want to accidentally get shocked or electrocuted.

Call a Water Removal Service Team

After a flood has occurred in your home, your next step should be to call a water removal service team. No matter if you only have an inch of water in your home or three feet, even a little bit of water can cause a tremendous amount of damage.

A water removal service team can begin to vacuum up the water using a sump pump. You can also purchase one from home improvement stores. It’s always good to have one on hand, just so you can immediately begin to remove the water.

Common types of damage that can happen with water damage include mold, warped floors, weak and damaged drywall, wet insulation, damaged or ruined electrical appliances, and fried electrical systems.

A water removal service team can safely remove the water as well as navigate the electrical units after a flood.

They will also come with high-powered fans and dehumidifiers to help dry out the area and remove any moisture that is in the air and trapped within the drywall.

This is extremely necessary as this is an instrumental step for preventing mold from forming.

Call Your Insurance Agent

If your house is flooded, the next step is to call your insurance agent. They will schedule to have an agent come to your home and assess and appraise the damage. They will then be able to give you an estimate for how much your claim payment could be to cover the damages.

The quicker you can receive your claims payment, the quicker you can start making repairs or necessary renovations to your home after a flood.

Water damage caused by a burst pipe or other plumbing failure usually falls under the protection of homeowners insurance.

Most flood damage caused by weather-related incidents is not covered under homeowners insurance. In this case, you should make sure that you specifically have flood insurance.

If you do not have flood insurance or homeowners insurance, use this as your sign to get some. Flood damage can rack up to tens of thousands of dollars. You don’t want to be caught without it in case your home is ever flooded.

Make sure your insurance policies are up-to-date too. If your policy is unpaid, your coverage will lapse and the flood damage will not be covered.

Start Taking Photos and Assessing the Damage

As with any type of disaster or home damage, it is important that you take photos and document evidence of the damage. This will be enormously helpful for insurance purposes. Photos can help make the claims process much easier.

Be meticulous when taking photos of the damage. Anything that you miss or fail to capture might not be covered by insurance.

Take pictures not only of structural or cosmetic damage o your home that has occurred, but also take pictures of any personal belongings that got damaged.

It is better to have the pictures and not need them than need the pictures for claims payments and not have them.

Need More Help and Info on What to Do After a Flood?

A flood in your home, big or small, can be devastating. it can mean frustrating months ahead as your home is being repaired and or remodeled, depending on the level of damage.

But knowing what to do after a flood is critical because like it or not, it can happen to anyone. The sooner that you jump into action, the sooner you can fix your home and get back to normal.

Here at PNW Restoration, we can help you in the immediate aftermath of a flood. We are experts in flood repair, water removal, and water damage restoration.

If you live in the Greater Portland Metro area and your home is flooded or you experience a water removal emergency, please give us a call to start your recovery.