What Do I Do If My House Floods?

Things to Know Before and After a Flood Hits You

Are you living in an area that is often subjected to floods?

Or have you ever been curious about the fact that according to research done by the government of Australia, chances of getting flooded at least once since the last 30 years have increased to 99 percent?

If you live in an area subjected to heavy rain or in a coastal area, stay tuned and read this article thoroughly, as we have compiled a list of things you should know before and after a flood hits you and your house.

For Flood caused by Natural Disasters

If you get hit by a natural disaster, you should know and do the following important things.

1. Plan an emergency exit:

During the time of a flood, you never know how long you have before floodwater starts to fill up your bedroom, so the first and foremost thing you need to do is check your phone for any alert notification sent by the government directly to you or call your nearest help center and confirm your current situation. In case of any flooding, they will instruct you and give you the location for emergency shelters made by the government. After you have confirmed your status with the help center, quickly start packing the essentials such as food items and warm clothes (better to have a few shirts) but be sure not to make your bag very heavy as it can be quite problematic at times.

2. Cut off the electricity:

The next essential thing to do is cut the electricity in your house. As the water level rises slowly, it can become hazardous if any short circuit occurs. To avoid any serious situation, it is a must that you quickly cut off your power.

This can easily be done by rushing to your house’s power brick; from there, you can easily turn off the power to your home. Be sure to keep yourself equipped with light torches if it gets dark, and they will come in very handy.

3. Prepare to leave:

During floods, people often forget one crucial thing: that your life comes above everything.

While it is normal to think of your belongings and be worried about your house and stuff, it does not mean that by thinking so, you should risk your life by gathering all your stuff or moving all your things to a safe place.

Instead, you should collect all your important electronic devices and all your files that might prove useful or are of importance.

Once the water starts entering your house, you can do nothing to stop it, so act quickly but carefully and start thinking of getting yourself and your family to a safe place.

4. Finding Transport:

If you don’t have a car and want to use public transport in case of a flood, then there are a few things that you must keep in your mind. Number one thing which you should remember is not to panic.

If you, for some reason, start to panic, you will not only be placing yourself in trouble but also risking the lives of people around you stay come and collect. Get yourself to the nearest bus point set up by the government for your help.

In case of an emergency, lookout for rescue boats and try not to exhaust yourself.

In case of a flood due to human error

Yes, there are cases of houses and my houses. I mean complete buildings getting flooded because of some human error or simply because of a lack of knowledge regarding flooding and the countermeasures you can take. Following are things you should know

1. Get your priorities straight:

When you see your house or apartment filling with water, your top priority is finding the water source quickly. Please don’t waste your time calling for help, as it can cost you greatly.

As soon as you see the source, you can have your chances of taking very little or, at times, no damage from the water filling up your building.

After finding the source of water leakage, analyze the problem and then call for help by contacting your nearest plumber. Meanwhile, find something with which you can temporarily stop or slow down the water flow.

2. Protecting your stuff

Water can very badly damage your belongings such as furniture and other things which might be sensitive to water. Start by getting your important files, electronic devices, and clothes to someplace high in your building.

If possible, place your stuff in plastic bags and tightly close its opening to prevent water from entering it.

Mold growth is the most common after-effects of floodwater, and mold damage is one of the hardest things to avoid, so be sure to move all your stuff out of the way.

3. Drying your building

Even if you successfully stop the water in time, the damage’s chances are very high. In this case, you should first remove all the waterlogged stuff as they can be a major reason for mold formation.

Contact water damage restoring professionals as soon as possible as they will quickly assess you before any more damage can be done to your apartment.

It is vital to clean and restore your building in the first 24 hours of the Flood, as, with time, the structural damage and damage done to your building will tend to increase in a very rapid manner.

Quickly call your insurance company and address the situation with them as later on, they might bail out and refuse to help you.

Quickly contact your insurance agent and inform him about the situation. The drying process will take a lot of your time, so be sure to act quickly. Flood damage can cause a lot of problems, both short and long-termed.

Precautions that you must take beforehand

It is necessary to be mentally and physically prepared for a hazard such as flooding. Therefore, you must do the following things before finding yourself in a dire situation.

1. Contacting insurance company:

Getting your building insured is one of the most important things you should do before a disaster strikes you. The general cost of restoring your house from damage caused by water is very high and a very problematic thing.

If you have insurance for your house, then you will be free of all the worries one might have after seeing your house take a bath. Look for reviews before opting for an insurance plan.

If you want us to write about the best insurance companies, feel free to leave feedback. Coming back to the topic having your building insured is never a bad thing as it helps you recover from the aftermath of a disaster.

And be sure to get your insurance claim at the right time.

2. Do regular maintenance

it is crucial to regularly have your piping system checked by a plumber at least once in two months as you never know what can cause your next house flood.

Periodically check your weather and keep yourself in touch with the national disaster and weather control centers. Keep a check on your water supply regularly as it will greatly decrease the possibility of any unwanted event.

3. Finding the right place for your house

Before you decide to find yourself a place to live, you must check the place out. You should always have the water level information of that area (water table).

Please don’t get yourself a house too close to the ocean or a house with a poor water flow and water supply system because these things might seem small, but they do matter a lot.

I forgot to mention that you often check your drainage system as you don’t want it to get blocked.

 

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