Flood Safety Tips for Residents from the Nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)

With rain expected over the next few days, residents should take precautions to protect their home and family from the possibility of flooding. Eighteen to 24 inches of moving water can wash a SUV off of the road. In fact, according to the National Weather Service, more than half of all flood-related deaths are people driving through flooded roads. The nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) ® reminds residents to “Turn Around, Don’t Drown! ®” and offers the following safety tips to protect your home from costly flood damage.

Before the Flood

All it takes is a few inches of water to cause major damage to your home and its contents. Intense storms can cause severe damage to your home’s roofing and so you may end up requiring the services of somewhere like NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ROOFING to prevent the damage from worsening.

-Clear yard of any debris, plant material or items (garden décor, foliage, or garbage cans) that can block water flow and storm drains.
-If time permits, secure and/or elevate outdoor appliances, AC units or storage tanks.
– Make sure your insurance is up to date and learn what your policy does and does not cover. You can always change to a company, like State Farm, if you think your home needs more protection.
-Place important papers (birth/marriage certificates, passports, bank and insurance information) in a watertight container. Take photographs or videos to create an inventory of your personal possessions and keep the camera card handy in case of evacuation.
-Identify and move electronics and other expensive items (computers, televisions, phone systems, area rugs, expensive furniture) on lower levels of the home and elevate if possible to keep them dry.
-When using sandbags be sure to fill one-half full, fold the top of sandbag down and rest bag on its folded top.
-Limit sandbag placement to three layers, unless stacked up against a building or sandbags are placed in a pyramid. Tamp each sandbag into place, completing each layer prior to starting the next layer.
-Clear a path between buildings for debris flow and lay a plastic sheet in between the building and the sandbags to control the flow and prevent water from seeping into sliding glass doors.

During the Flood

-Avoid flooded areas or those with rapid water flow. Do not attempt to cross a flowing stream. It takes only six inches of fast flowing water to sweep you off your feet.
-Don’t allow children to play near high water, storm drains or ditches. Hidden dangers could lie beneath the water.
-Flooded roads could have significant damage hidden by floodwaters. Never drive through floodwaters or on flooded roads.
-Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to see flooded roads.

After the Flood

-Take photographs of damage throughout the building and around the property. Assess stability of plaster and drywall. Bulging or swelling ceilings indicate damage. Press upward on drywall ceilings. If nail heads appear, drywall will need to be re-nailed but can be saved. Fixing drywall damage is actually simpler than you might imagine, for example, drywall hole repair services can quickly patch up the affected areas to return the wall to its former condition. This is true for drywalls that have been damaged during electrical work or even water damage.
-Check foundation for any loose or missing blocks, bricks, stones or mortar.
-Empty basement water at a rate of about one-third per day to avoid structural damage to foundation by rapid pressure change.
-Clean and disinfect heating, air conditioning, and ventilation ducts before use to avoid spread of airborne germs and mold spores. If your heating and air conditioning system gets broken in the process, (which could be quite common during this process), don’t hesitate in contacting experts at your earliest convenience. For example, you can check out Nance Services here. As well as cleaning and disinfecting this area, you can use fans and sunlight to dry out interior spaces. Remove all wet carpets, curtains and fabrics. Allow to air dry completely.

To learn more about how much flooding can cost you, check out this cost of flooding tool provided by FloodSmart. For more home and family safety tips visit www.flash.org or www.protect-your-home.org.