Sad to say, natural disasters have become all too common lately. Whether you live in an area affected by the recent hurricanes or not, its good to know what we should do after our home has been flooded.
Here are some important reminders of what to do immediately after your home has flooded:
- When first entering your home, be very careful as you don’t know what you’ll encounter. The structure could be unstable, so look out for potential floor and ceiling collapse. Make sure you have the proper clothing on, such as sturdy shoes and appropriate breathing masks.
- Do not consume food or drink water that might of come into contact with flood waters.
- After a flood, its possible that your electrical system could be damaged. While its probable that there is no electricity in your neighborhood, you still want to make sure that you turn off the electricity to your own house as the flood water may of damaged electrical circuits. A word of caution though, if there is water you have to stand in to get to the circuit breaker, ask a professional electrician for advice first.
- As strange as it may seem, did you know that fires pose a huge risk after a flood? This is due to electrical appliances and furnaces being under water. Chemical spills and gas leaks also are a big factor.
- A home doesn’t just fill up with water when flooded, but also with mud and sludge. This can be very hazardous to health as it contains all kinds of bacteria and sewage. Try and remove this from your home as quickly as you are able, also don’t try to salvage absorbent building materials or mattresses etc, as these will be contaminated with bacteria.
This is just some of the first steps to staying safe after your home has been flooded. In our next blog we will consider more on this subject.
