After a flood, it may seem as if your home and your possessions are beyond hope, but many of those belongings can likely be repaired. With the right process, you can clean up, dry out, rebuild and reoccupy your home much sooner than you may have previously imagined. First and foremost, you need to play it safe. Just because the waters are down, that does not mean the dangers have gone away. Your home may have a weakened foundation, a shorted electrical system, or remnants from the flood left behind that may make you sick. When in doubt, simply toss things out that can be replaced rather than risking infection or injury.

It is also vital that you ask for help. Many people can handle a great deal of the clean up and repairs, but if you have technical concerns, do not be afraid to ask for professional assistance.

Finally, it is vital that you flood proof because it is quite likely that your home will eventually become flooded again if it has flooded in the past. You can save your great deal of money by flood proofing during the repair and rebuilding processes. Here are a number of steps that will help you create a flood response plan.

Step 1 -

First and foremost you should take care of yourself and your family, alleviating any stress, fatigue and health issues that occur following a flood.

Step 2 -

The next step is to give your home some basic first aid, preventing any other damage from occurring to your possessions and the contents of your home.

Step 3 -

The third step is to get yourself organized, figuring out which items should be repaired and which should be thrown out, and more importantly, where to go from here.

Step 4 -

The fourth step is all about drying your home out, helping to reduce the hazards associated with mud, silt, contaminants and mold and mildew.

Step 5 -

The fifth step is to check on financial assistance because there are numerous options out there. There are voluntary agencies, insurance, businesses and other government disaster programs that may have the tools and resources that you need to get through the recovery process.

Step 6 -

Restore the Utilities, restoring electricity, clean water, heat and sewage disposal in order to make the rest of your work easier.

Step 7 -

The next step is the bulk of the cleanup, including the walls, the floors, the closets, the shelves, and everything else in your home. Everything needs to be washed and disinfected thoroughly.

Step 8 -

The eighth step is to rebuild and to flood proof your home. Take your time to do it correctly, making improvements that will better protect you should a flood ever occur again.

Step 9 -

Prepare yourself for the next flood by purchasing flood insurance, putting together an effective flood response plan and joining programs for community flood protection.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2009-02-02 05:50:02. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Categories:

Handy Man, House Damage, Repair

Tags:

basic first aid, belongings, contaminants, disaster programs, electrical system, fatigue, financial assistance, flood proof, flood proofing, flood response, health issues, insurance businesses, left behind, mold and mildew, possessions, professional assistance, remnants, response plan, technical concerns, voluntary agencies