The drizzle of rain became a torrential downpour.
When Hurricane Harvey hit Texas on a Saturday morning, many residents only had to deal with a slight drizzle of rain. Yet, by the Saturday night rolled around, the drizzle began pouring rain down upon residents.
In a matter of hours, many homeowners found themselves having to deal with a flooded house. The Category 4 storm caused $125 billion in damage, making hurricane Harvey the second most expensive natural disaster in all of U.S. history, with Hurricane Katrina being the first.
Even if you live in an area with perfect weather, a broken pipe, or burst sewer line, can cause a flood to take place in a matter of minutes. Knowing the right way to respond to a flood can make the difference between life and death. Read on to learn the best way to deal with a house flood.
Grieving a Flooded House
Natural disaster floods, tend to be more traumatic to residents since other damage usually takes place as well. If you’re dealing with major damage after a storm, you’ll need to learn how to deal with the stress.
Individuals who have to deal with major property loss may also feel similar to someone who’s experienced a death. While your belongings may have not been alive, they still were very much a part of your life. This flood was out of your hands, it’s happened, and there’s no way you can undo that.
Yet, this doesn’t mean you’re powerless. By allowing yourself to feel your feelings, you can escape feeling trapped by them. Having a clear state of mind will also make it easier for you to take the necessary precautions to protect yourself and your family.
Know the Water Source
It’s always a good idea for homeowners to be proactive about potential floods. There are the steps you should take before a flood, as well as steps you can take immediately after the flooding begins. Here are the first steps to take as a homeowner:
- Locate the main valve ahead of time
- Find the source of water
- Shut off the water source
- When necessary seal off the water source
- If possible shut off the main valve
Every resident should know where the main valve to their dwelling is, as well as how to turn it off. When your home floods, and it’s not related to a natural disaster, the very first thing you need to do is determine where the water’s coming from.
Once you find the source of the water, you’ll need to turn it off or seal it up. The best way for you to stop water flow is by turning off the main water valve leading to your house.
How to Shutdown Electricity
When it comes to dealing with flooding in your house, your timing will make all the difference. Quickly identifying the water source, and shutting it off immediately, can help minimize the damage that takes place.
Yet, that doesn’t mean you can stop there. Once you turn off the source of the water, you’ll also need to address your electricity. Here are the best tips for dealing with electricity in a flooded house:
- Turn off all electrical systems
- Never walk through water to reach a fuse box
- Call an electrician when necessary
Once you stop the water source, you can turn off your electrical systems. Yet, be careful that you don’t have to walk through any amount of water, on your way to the fuse box.
If there’s too much water present, and you can’t reach the fuse box on dry land, you’ll need to call in professional help. Typically electricians will offer emergency services, at a higher rate, to help homeowners dealing with floodwaters.
Keep Good Records
You probably think the next step to dealing with a flooded house is to clean up the mess. Yet, before you take any steps towards fixing things, you’ll need to gather the proper documentation.
You should document every inch of damage, even if it seems small or trivial. The more thoroughly you document your damage, the easier it’ll be for you to receive the funds you deserve from your insurance company. We suggest you use your cellphone to both film and photograph every affected area.
Don’t Touch Flood Water
The water floating around on your living room floor isn’t like normal water you’d come into contact with. Floodwaters can contain raw sewage or other hazardous materials.
If you’re afraid of handling floodwater, it’s perfectly fine to leave the clean-up to the professionals. Clean up companies like, Towers Restoration & Cleaning, are proficient at dealing with water damage. If you do decide to restore your home on your own, you need to take every precaution possible, to avoid touching the water.
One way to keep yourself safe is by wearing protective gear. This includes wearing waders, waterproof boots, gloves that extend to your elbow, and even safety glasses.
Evacuate Immediately
You should never spend any more time than you have to inside a flooded house. If the floodwaters are coming from severe weather, as soon as the storm has passed, you should remove yourself from the premises.
Relocate everyone from the house to a nearby dry area. This can be somewhere as close as a dry patch of land in your backyard. Account for every house member, including your pets.
If the flooding happened because of a natural disaster, you can expect it to take longer to receive the help you need. You and your family may have to stay at a temporary shelter for the time being. You can locate available shelters in your area by listening to the local news, radio, or calling authorities.
Moving on After a Flood
After dealing with a flooded house, it’s normal to feel anxious that another flood will occur. Instead of worrying about future floods, we suggest you empower yourself, and your family, by taking action.
First, you can start by lifting all of your appliances, so there out of harm’s way. Items like your AC unit should be up, and off the floor, in case another flood takes place.
We also suggest replacing your carpet flooring with a nonporous material. Then you can use a water-resistant seal on your floors, to help minimize any damage if floodwaters ever reappear.
Whenever you’re making improvements to your house, it’s always a good idea to get advice from other homeowners. Finding out what products work well ahead of time, can save you a lot of time and money. Go ahead and check out our Reviews section, today!