It does bring out some great information.
My Property Went Underwater...Now What?
If you were one of the unfortunate people that was flooded by Hurricane Sandy yesterday, here are a basic list of considerations for helping you get safely back on your feet:
- Don't Go Back Into Your Property Until Emergency Officials Give the OK - As bad as things might seem, rushing back into a recently flooded building may be a significantly
worse idea! In addition to any damage to your contents, the water may have caused structural damage that could make it unsafe to enter your property. Another concern is a potential electrical hazard. Once power is restored to your area, your electrical wiring may still be wet and dangerous! It is best to have all potentially water-damaged electrical components checked by a professional electrician prior to any re-energizing or re-occupancy of the building to reduce the risks of electrical shock or electrical fires.
- Contact Your Insurance Carrier - Begin the process of creating a claim for losses that are covered under your insurance policy.
- Document, Document, Document! - Take photos and video detailing the extent of the damage to both the structure and the contents. Hopefully you have pre-loss photos/video, as they can be helpful with establishing the extent of the damage. If not, definitely begin photo documentation ASAP!
- Get It Dry, Get it Clean - This may clearly be easier to say than actually achieve under the circumstances, but whatever you can do to get your building's structure and it's contents dry fast will help to minimize your subsequent damage. Try to salvage irreplaceable items like family photos, rare collectibles, etc, and get them to a safe place where they can be dried out. Gypsum board (AKA sheetrock) doesn't fare well when submerged, despite what some insurance adjusters would like you to believe. Once saturated, it can be structurally compromised, and very prone to subsequent mold growth. When in doubt, tear it out! The same goes for any wet fiberglass insulation, carpeting, or upholstered furniture, bedding and any unsealed food items. Floods are considered Category 3 (Black Water), since they are contaminated with sewage and other unsavory contents. For a period of time after a significant flood event, the risk of bacterial contamination is greatest, so protect yourself from exposure if you're going in (PPE or Personal Protective Equipment is strongly recommended, including respirator, gloves, eye protection at minimum).
- And Then, There's Mold? - If all this wasn't bad enough, the fungal invaders may start appearing anywhere from a few days to several weeks after the flooding. Mold tends to attack processed wood products and leather goods quickly, but can colonize on virtually any surface with sufficient nutrients and moisture--so pretty much any dirty and damp material will do! Let it suffice to say that I won't be warning of "Deadly toxic black mold", but rather offering a more objective viewpoint in lieu of the hysterical approach. Mold growing outdoors-normal. Mold growing indoors-NOT normal. I really don't get into fungal racism; pretty much any species of mold growing indoors in quantity is undesirable, period. It needs to be addressed. And not with bleach!
R&L Envirocare
417-942-2451
800-526-4978
