Repairing Your Flooded Home FEMA 234.pdf

Repairing Your Flooded

Home

FEMA P-234 / October 2010

FEMA

Flood Safety

Do not walk through ﬂowing water. Drowning is the number one cause of ﬂood deaths. Most drownings occur

during ﬂash ﬂoods. Six inches of moving water can knock you oﬀ your feet. Use a pole or stick to make sure that

the ground is still there before you go through an area where the water is not ﬂowing.

Do not drive through a ﬂooded area. More people drown in their cars than anywhere else. Don’t drive around

road barriers; the road or bridge may be washed out.

Stay away from power lines and electrical wires. Electrocution is also a major killer in ﬂoods. Electrical cur-

rents can travel through water. Report downed power lines to your utility company or local emergency manager.

Turn off your electricity when you return home. Follow the instructions in Step 2 on page 4. Some appliances,

such as television sets, can shock you even after they have been unplugged. Don’t use appliances or motors that

have gotten wet unless they have been taken apart, cleaned, and dried.

Watch for animals, especially snakes. Small animals that have been ﬂooded out of their homes may seek shelter

in yours. Use a pole or stick to seek, poke, and turn items over and scare away small animals.

Look before you step. After a food, the ground and ﬂoors are covered with debris, including broken bottles and

nails. Floors and stairs that have been covered with mud can be very slippery.

Be alert for gas leaks. Use a ﬂashlight to inspect for damage. Don’t smoke or use candles, lanterns, or open ﬂames

unless you are sure that the gas has been turned oﬀ and the area has been aired out. Carbon monoxide exhaust

kills. Use a generator or other gasoline-powered machine outdoors. e same goes for camping stoves. Fumes from

charcoal are especially deadly; only cook with charcoal outdoors.

Clean everything that got wet. Floodwaters pick up sewage and chemicals from roads, farms, factories, and stor-

age buildings. Spoiled food and ﬂooded cosmetics and medicines are health hazards. When in doubt, throw them

out.

Take good care of yourself. Recovering from a ﬂood is a big job. it is tough on both the body and the spirit. And

the eﬀects a disaster has on you and your family may last a long time. Read Step 1 on page 1 on how to recognize

and care for anxiety, stress, and fatigue.

Issued in furtherance of the International Decade

for Natural Disaster Reduction

Repairing Your Flooded Home

Flood Safety Precautions .............................................. Inside Front Cover

Step 1. Take Care of Yourself First ..................................................................1

Protect yourself and your family from anxiety, stress, and fatigue, as well as

health hazards that follow a ﬂood.

Step 2. Give Your Home First Aid ..................................................................4

Once it is safe to go back in, protect your home and contents from further

damage.

Step 3. Get Organized .................................................................................11

Some things are not worth repairing and some things may be too complicated

or expensive for you to do by yourself. A recovery plan can take these things

into account and help you make the most of your time and money.

Step 4. Dry Out Your Home ........................................................................14

Floodwaters damage materials; leave mud, silt, and unknown contaminants;

and promote the growth of mildew. You need to dry your home to reduce these

hazards and the damage they cause.

Step 5. Restore Your Utilities ........................................................................20

e rest of your work will be much easier if you have heat, electricity, clean

water, and sewage disposal.

Step 6. Cleanup ..........................................................................................24

e walls, ﬂoors, closets, shelves, contents, and any other ﬂooded parts of your

home should be thoroughly washed and disinfected.

Step 7. Check on Financial Assistance ...........................................................28

Voluntary agencies, businesses, insurance, and government disaster programs

can help you through recovery.

Step 8. Rebuild and Floodproof ....................................................................32

Take your time to rebuild correctly and make improvements that will protect

your home from damage by the next ﬂood.

Step 9. Prepare for the Next Flood ................................................................40

Protect yourself from the next ﬂood with ﬂood insurance, a ﬂood response plan,

and community ﬂood protection programs. is step also includes sources to

contact for additional assistance.

Index ...........................................................................................................48

Important Phone Numbers ............................................ Inside Back Cover

Contents

Repairing Your Flooded Home

is information is published by the Federal Emergency Management

Agency (FEMA) and the American Red Cross (ARC) to help ﬂooded property

owners. It is designed to be easily copied. Permission to reproduce all or any

section of this material is hereby granted and encouraged.

Copies of this book are available from your local Red Cross chapter or by

writing:

FEMA Distribution Center

4440 Buckeystown Pike

Frederick, MD 21704

Copies of this book are also available by calling: 1-800-480-2520.

About is Book

iii

Repairing Your Flooded Home

Following a Flood

is book gives step-by-step

advice you can use to clean up, re-

build, and get help after a ﬂood. Be-

fore you start, read the ﬂood safety

precautions on the inside front cover

of this document and review the

nine steps that are summarized in

the Table of Contents.

Your home and its contents may

look beyond hope, but many of

your belongings can be restored. If

you do things right, your ﬂooded

home can be cleaned up, dried out,

rebuilt, and reoccupied sooner than

you think. While you are doing the

job ahead, you should remember

these three important points:

Play it safe. 1. e dangers are not

over when the water goes down.

Read the ﬂood safety precautions

on the inside front cover of this

document. Your home’s founda-

tion may have been weakened,

the electrical system may have

shorted out, and ﬂoodwaters may

have left behind things that could

make you sick. Many ﬂooded

items, such as wallboard and

mattresses, will hold mud and

contamination forever. When in

doubt, throw it out. Don’t risk

injury or infection.

Ask for help. 2. Many people can

do a lot of the cleanup and re-

pairs discussed in this book. But

if you have technical questions

or do not feel comfortable doing

something, get professional help.

If there is a federal disaster decla-

ration, a telephone “hotline” will

often be publicized to provide in-

formation about public, private,

and voluntary agency programs

to help you recover from the

ﬂood. Government disaster pro-

grams are there to help you, the

taxpayer. You’re paying for them;

check them out.

Floodproof. 3. It is very likely that

your home will be ﬂooded again

someday. Floodprooﬁng means

using materials and practices

that will prevent or minimize

ﬂood damage in the future.

Many ﬂoodprooﬁng techniques

are inexpensive or can be easily

incorporated into your rebuild-

ing program. You can save a lot

of money by ﬂoodprooﬁng as

you repair and rebuild (see Step

8). You should also prepare for

the next ﬂood by buying ﬂood

insurance and preparing a ﬂood

response plan.

is book was prepared for the

Federal Emergency Management

Agency (FEMA) under Contract

Number EMW-89-C-3024 and

EMW-91- K-3738.

FEMA and the American Red

Cross gratefully acknowledge the

thoughtful assistance provided by

the many individuals who reviewed

this book. Reviewers included repair

and reconstruction contractors,

mental health professionals, sociolo-

gists, researchers, disaster assistance

specialists, insurance experts, under-

writers, structural engineers, public

health agents, ﬂoodplain managers,

emergency managers, education

specialists, editorial experts, and

graphic designers.

Acknowledgments

Repairing Your Flooded Home

ou and your family have been

through a disaster. Your life has

been turned upside down, and it

will take time for things to return to

normal. Take a few minutes to review

the ﬂood safety precautions listed on

the inside front cover of this document.

Also, you should watch out for symp-

toms of anxiety, stress, and fatigue.

With all the cleanup and repair

jobs awaiting you, it may seem odd

to spend the ﬁrst chapter of a ﬂood

recovery book talking about emo-

tional issues. But a disaster can do

damage beyond the obvious destruc-

tion and debris you see everywhere.

You should recognize that the ﬂood

can take its toll on you as well as

your property. is ﬁrst section is

designed to remind you that you

need to look after yourself and your

family as you focus on the obvious

tasks of cleanup and recovery. Your

hidden enemy is stress. Watch for it.

Care for Yourself

Your body reacts to stress in many

ways. You may expect to experience

one or more of the warning signs

as you deal with the ﬂooding and

recovery. Your body is just remind-

ing you that times are diﬃcult.

Reactions to stress are common and

usually temporary. Need some relief?

Here are some steps you can take to

relieve your tensions.

Keep the family together. Even

in bad times, togetherness provides

mutual support for all members.

Discuss your problems. Talk to

family and friends. Share your anxi-

eties. Let others talk to you to help

release tension. Crying is a natural

response to a disaster. It’s also a great

way to release pent-up emotions.

Rest often and eat well. You are

more likely to suﬀer from stress and

health problems when you are weak.

Being active helps, but don’t overdo

it. Your body must have proper rest

and nourishment for you to keep

going.

Set a manageable schedule. You

have a million things to do, but you

can’t do everything at once. Make

a list and do jobs one at a time.

Establish a schedule to clean up and

rebuild. Following the steps in this

booklet will help you. Try to return

to your pre-ﬂood routines as quickly

as possible. Routines give you some-

thing predictable to depend upon.

Watch for signs of stress. You

have just been through a disaster

and the recovery period can be long,

hard, and chaotic. Don’t be sur-

prised if you experience tension or

see signs of stress in family mem-

bers. Often other people will notice

problems more readily than you do.

Listen to them.

Seek help. If you cannot shake

feelings of despair or other telltale

signs of stress, get professional help.

Special outreach programs and crisis

counseling are often set up following

a disaster because so many people

need help to cope with their

STEP

Take Care of Yourself First

Warning Signs of Stress

Short tempers, frequent argumentst

Greater consumption of alcoholt

Smoking more than usualt

Getting upset over minor t

irritations

Diﬃculty sleeping, bad dreamst

Aches, pains, stomach problemst

Apathy, loss of concentrationt

Depressiont

STEP

Take Care of Yourself First

STEP

Take Care of Yourself First

situation. Call the Red Cross at

1-202-303-5000 for programs avail-

able in your area.

Floodproof as you rebuild.

People who are prepared ahead of

time are better able to deal with

disasters. Getting ready for the next

ﬂood can give you a sense of control

over the future. Besides, ﬂoodproof-

ing will be a deﬁnite improvement

to your property.

Care for Your Children

Watch your children closely. You

can expect to see them display fear

or symptoms of stress.

Fear is a normal reaction to any

danger that threatens a person’s well-

being. Because their daily routine

has been interrupted, children may

experience considerable anxiety

and fear. ose feelings are real and

natural. You can help your children

deal with the disaster by keeping in

mind the following points.

Try to keep the family to-

gether. Make an eﬀort to establish

normal family routines. Include

children in cleanup activities. Chil-

dren need and want to be important

parts of the family.

Listen to what children say.

Encourage them to talk or otherwise

express their feelings. Teenagers may

need to talk with other teenagers.

Explain the disaster factually.

Children have vivid imaginations

and what they don’t understand can

make them fearful. Knowing the

facts can help children deal better

with the disaster.

Reassure children. Show them

through words and actions that life

will return to normal. Touching and

holding are important.

Hugs help. Try to ﬁnd or replace

pets or favorite toys.

Be understanding. Avoid scold-

ing children for things that might be

ﬂood-related, such as bed wetting,

thumb sucking, or clinging to you.

Remember, they are also going

through a rough time.

Take care of yourself. Your chil-

dren reﬂect your fears and worries.

If you take care of yourself, you will

be better able to help your children

cope.

Stay Healthy

Infants, pregnant women,

and people with health problems

should avoid the ﬂooded area

until cleanup is complete. Small

children tend to put things in their

mouths. Pregnant women need to

be cautious to avoid injury and ex-

posure to disease. People with health

problems are more likely to get sick

or be injured.

e Red Cross can help you re-

place medicine or lost prescriptions

after a disaster.

Your body is used to being clean.

When you work in an area that has

been ﬂooded, you will be exposed to

dangerous chemicals and germs that

you are not used to and can make

you very sick.

Wash your hands with soap

and water, thoroughly and often.

is is especially important before

handling food, eating, or smoking.

If possible, use an antibacterial soap

on your hands. Avoid biting your

nails.

Conﬁrm that the water is clean

and safe. Don’t drink it or wash

dishes until you’re sure (see Step 5).

Helping Children

Keep the family togethert

Listen to themt

Explain what happenedt

Reassure themt

Be understandingt

Take care of yourselft

Disinfect dishes and all items

that ﬂoodwaters touched. Instruc-

tions for cleaning and disinfecting

appliances and household items are

covered in Step 6.

Don’t hurt yourself. Items are

much heavier when wet. Don’t try

to move large objects by yourself.

Unfortunately, injuries, especially

back injuries, are a common side ef-

fect of cleaning up after a ﬂood.

Watch out for fatigue. When

your body is tired, you are more

prone to accidents. Set a realistic

schedule for the work you will do

each day.

Be safe around poisons. Many

of the products you will use to

clean, disinfect, and repair your

home are poisons. Read and fol-

low label instructions and keep all

chemical products out of the reach

of children. Have the number for

the National Capital Poison Control

Center (1-800-222-12222) posted

by your telephone and call right

away if anyone is poisoned.

Report health hazards. Tell the

Health Department about animal

carcasses, rats, dangerous chemicals,

and similar hazards on your prop-

erty.

Be patient. Above all, try to

be patient with your family, your

neighbors, the volunteer agency

personnel, and local, state, and

federal authorities. Remember that

many others are in the same situa-

tion you are in, and it may take time

for everyone to get service. You may

have to wait your turn.

Staying Healthy

Wash up frequentlyt

Make sure the water is safet

Disinfect everythingt

Don’t overdo itt

Report health hazardst

STEP

Take Care of Yourself First

STEP

Give Your Home First Aid

STEP

Give Your Home First Aid

t is dangerous to go back into your

home because the ﬂood may have

caused structural, electrical, and other

hazards. After you have made things

safe, take steps to protect your home

and contents from further damage.

Most of the information in this

section assumes that the person do-

ing the work has experience in con-

struction and electrical repair. If you

do not have experience in construction

and electrical repair, do not try to do

this work yourself. Hire a qualiﬁed

contractor or an electrician. It is still

a good idea to read the information

in this book so you will have a better

understanding of the jobs ahead, no

matter who does them.

Even if you have some experi-

ence with construction and electrical

work, do not attempt any job if you

feel uncertain about the right thing to

do or you wonder if the job is beyond

your skill or physical strength. Read

the instructions in this book all

the way through before you start.

Gather your tools and supplies, and

make sure you have enough help.

ere is plenty of work to go

around after a ﬂood. Do only those

jobs you can do well and without

injuring yourself. If you cannot af-

ford to get professional help, check

with your local Red Cross chapter,

your local emergency management

agency, or your building department

to see if there are any volunteer

programs available to you.

is section is designed for those

who have experience in construction

and electrical repair. If you are un-

certain about these steps, contact a

professional such as a licensed home

repair contractor or an electrician.

Make Sure It is Safe to Go

Back

Some ﬂoods have more than one

crest or peak. Even though the water

looks like it’s going down, it may

rise again and trap you. Stay tuned

to your radio or TV to ﬁnd out if

and when you can go back home.

If you are not sure whether you can

return, contact your local emergency

manager.

Read the ﬂood safety precautions

listed on the inside front cover of

this document. Each year about 150

people die because of ﬂoods. Many

of those fatalities are due to electro-

cution or other accidents that occur

after the ﬂoodwaters have gone

down. Have someone with you when

you check your home and do repairs.

Dress for the task—wear sturdy

shoes and gloves.

ings You Will Need When It

is Safe to Return Home

Flashlight P

First aid kit P

Battery-operated radio P

Waterproof boots or waders P

Safety clothing, such as a hard hat P

and gloves

Boots or shoes with hard soles P

A Note About Portable

Generators

Portable generators can be a big

help if you are without power. But

remember:

Connect appliances one at a time t

to the generator. Never hook a gen-

erator directly to your household

wiring yourself. Only a qualiﬁed

electrician can do this.

Only use generators outdoors. t

ey give oﬀ carbon monoxide

fumes.

Avoid using extension cords with t

generators. If you must use them,

check them often to make sure

they have not become hot.

Dust mask P

Camera or video camera to record P

damage

Tools: crowbars, hammers, saws, P

pliers, crescent wrenches,

screwdrivers, etc.

Drinking water P

Trash bags P

A wooden stick for turning P

things over, scaring away snakes

and small animals, and moving

electrical wires

Cleaning supplies P

Note: Do not use candles before,

during, or after a ﬂood. Candles can

easily tip over or invite child ﬁre-play.

Check Your Home Before You

Go In

If there is standing water next

to the outside walls of your home,

don’t go in. You won’t be able to tell

if the building is safe or structur-

ally sound. Before you go in, walk

carefully around the outside of your

home and check for loose power

lines and gas leaks. You will know

there is leaking gas by the putrid,

distinct odor that is added to gas to

let people know gas is leaking. If you

ﬁnd downed lines or leaks, call your

utility company.

Check the foundation for cracks

or other damage. Examine porch

roofs and overhangs to be sure they

still have all their supports.

Look for gaps between the steps

and the home. If you see obvious

damage, have a building inspector

check the home before you go in.

Some communities require oﬃcial

inspections for all buildings after a

ﬂood.

If any supports or portions of the

foundation wall are missing or the

ground has washed away, the ﬂoor

is not safe. If you have any doubts

about safety, contact a contractor

before going in. Proceed very care-

fully.

Turn oﬀ the electricity

Electricity and water don’t mix.

Turn the power oﬀ at your home!

Even if the power company has

turned oﬀ electricity to the area, you

must still make certain your home’s

power supply is disconnected. You

don’t want the power company to

turn it on without warning while

you’re working on it.

e electricity must be turned oﬀ

at the main breaker box or fuse box.

Your utility company may have re-

moved your electric meter. is does

not always turn oﬀ the power.

If you have to step in water to get

to your electric box, call an electri-

cian. Simply removing the electric

meter does not always turn oﬀ the

power. If you can get to your electric

box without going through or stand-

ing in water, you can turn oﬀ the

power yourself (see box).

Remember that if the electrical

or gas controls are inside the home,

do not turn them oﬀ until you can

safely enter your home.

Turn oﬀ the gas

Gas appliances and pipes may

have moved or broken during the

ﬂood, creating a gas leak. If you sus-

pect a leak or smell gas, leave your

home immediately and call the gas

company from a neighbor’s home.

How to Turn Off the Power

Fuse Boxes

1. Stand on a dry spot.

2. If your box has a handle on the

side, use a dry wooden stick or

pole to pull the handle to OFF.

3. Use the stick to open the door.

4. Carefully pull out the main fuses.

Use a dry wooden stick.

5. Unscrew and remove each circuit

fuse

Breaker Boxes

1. Stand on a dry spot.

2. Use a dry wooden stick or pole

to open the door.

3. Use the stick to push the main

breaker switch to OFF.

4. Use the stick to turn each circuit

breaker to OFF

STEP

Give Your Home First Aid

STEP

Give Your Home First Aid

Leave the door open and, if the gas

meter is outside, turn oﬀ the gas.

If your have gas appliances that

were ﬂooded, you will need to clean

the mud out of the pilot and the

burners. But ﬁrst, you must turn oﬀ

the gas.

ere is a valve next to the gas

meter. If the valve handle is parallel

to the pipe, the gas is on. You may

need a pair of pliers or a wrench to

turn the valve. Turn it 90 degrees

(a quarter turn) so the handle is

perpendicular to the pipe to shut oﬀ

the gas.

Some gas meter valves will have

a hole in the handle. is hole lines

up with a hole in the valve body

when the gas is shut oﬀ. (e gas

company uses the hole to lock or

seal the valve closed when the build-

ing is vacant.) To be sure the gas is

oﬀ, write down the numbers on all

the dials in the meter. Check the

dials at least 5 minutes later. If the

numbers have changed, the valve

is not closed. Gas is still ﬂowing.

Telephone your utility company for

help and keep clear of the area until

the gas has stopped ﬂowing.

If you have a fuel oil or propane

tank, it may have ﬂoated and broken

the connecting pipes. Even an un-

derground tank can ﬂoat. Turn oﬀ

the fuel valve at the tank and follow

the instructions in Step 5 before you

turn the fuel back on.

Go Inside Carefully

If the door sticks and has to be

forced open, it is probably swol-

len. If it only sticks at the bottom,

it can be forced open. If it sticks at

the top, your ceiling may be ready

to fall. You can force the door open,

but wait outside the doorway for a

minute where you will be protected

if something falls.

If the door won’t open easily, it

may be easier for you to enter your

home through a window. Look care-

fully at the ceiling before you go in

to be sure it is not ready to fall.

Do not smoke or use candles, gas

lanterns, or other open ﬂames in your

home. Air out your home complete-

ly—there may be explosive gas.

Check the ceiling for signs of

sagging. If there was a lot of wind

and rain or if the ﬂood was very

deep, your ceiling may be holding

water. Wet plaster or wallboard is

very heavy and dangerous if it falls.

If the ceiling is sagging, do the fol-

lowing before you go in:

1. Make a poker by attaching a nail

or other pointed object to the

end of a long stick. (You might

hammer a ﬁnish nail into the

end of a broomstick.)

Safety Checklist

Wait for the water to go downt

Report downed power linest

Report gas leakst

Check for structural damaget

Turn oﬀ electricityt

Turn oﬀ gas or fuelt

OFF

2. Stand away from, not under, the

sag. (Under a doorway is safest.)

Poke a hole in the ceiling at the

edge of the sag so any trapped

water can begin to drain. Do

not start at the center of the sag

because the ceiling may collapse

suddenly.

3. After the water drains, poke an-

other hole, lower down the sag.

Keep poking holes as you move

to the lowest point.

4. Tear down the sagging ceiling

using extreme caution—it’s very

heavy. You’ll have to replace it

anyway.

5. Repeat this procedure for any

room that has sagging ceilings.

Step carefully. Water and mud

make a ﬂoor very slippery. Also

watch for snakes, other animals,

loose ﬂooring, holes, and nails.

Check for cabinets and other tall

pieces of furniture that might be

ready to fall over. Remove mirrors

and heavy pictures from walls. ey

will not stay up if the wallboard is

wet.

Rescue the Most Valuable

Items

Find and protect the “irreplace-

able” valuables such as money, jew-

elry, insurance papers, photographs,

and family heirlooms. Wash the

mud oﬀ before the items can dry.

Put articles in a safe place such as a

dry second story or a plastic bag, or

take them to a friend’s home.

Photographs, books, and other

articles that are easily damaged when

wet can be frozen and cleaned later

when you have more time. Wash the

mud oﬀ. Store the articles in plastic

bags and take them to a friend who

has electricity. Put them in a frost-

free freezer to protect them from

mildew and further damage until

you have time to thaw and clean

them. A photographer or camera

shop can professionally clean wet

photographs.

Resist the urge to stop and clean ev-

erything you pick up. You need to get

to work on protecting your home,

assessing all the damages, and plan-

ning your recovery so you can save

and restore as much as possible. You

can clean up your belongings after

you have done the more important

things listed here.

Protect Your Home From

Further Damage

You need to make sure that

there will be no more damage from

rain, wind, or animals. Your ﬂood

insurance policy may cover some of

the cost of protecting your home

from further damage or moving

the contents to a safe place. (Read

your policy and ask your agent what

expenses are covered by your policy.)

STEP

Give Your Home First Aid

STEP

Give Your Home First Aid

Get fresh air moving through

your home. Open windows and

doors if weather permits. is will

reduce the moisture and get rid of

any gas in the home. Do not try

to force open a swollen window.

Instead of breaking glass, remove the

molding and take the window sash

out of its frame.

Patch holes. Cover holes in

the roof, walls, or windows with

boards, tarps, or plastic sheeting.

Plastic sheets or trash bags should

be nailed down with wood strips or

taped with duct tape to keep them

from ripping loose. It may not look

pretty, but you need to do this so

rain won’t cause any more water

damage.

Repair sagging ﬂoors or roof

sections. Use 4 x 4s or other heavy

lumber to brace weak areas. If you’re

uncertain how to shore up ﬂoor or

ceiling joists, call a contractor.

Remove debris. Tree limbs or

other trash that may have landed on

or ﬂoated into the home should be

cleared away.

Check for broken or leaking

water pipes. If you ﬁnd any, cut

oﬀ the water supply by turning oﬀ

the valve at your water meter. If you

can’t ﬁnd it, call the water company

for help. Also check ﬂoor drains—

they may be clogged with debris.

If the water pipes are not leaking,

you can use your tap water for hos-

ing and cleaning. But do not drink

or cook with tap water until it has

been declared safe. (If you are not on

a municipal water system, the local

health department will usually in-

spect your well and test your water.

See Step 5.)

Carefully Drain Your

Basement

If your basement is ﬂooded, don’t

be in too big a hurry to pump it out.

Here’s why.

Water in the ground outside your

home is pushing hard against the

outside of your basement walls. But

the water inside your basement is

pushing right back.

If you drain your basement too

quickly, the pressure outside the

walls will be greater than the pres-

sure inside the walls—and that may

make the walls and ﬂoor crack and

collapse, causing serious damage.

To avoid this situation, follow

these steps when you pump the

water out of your basement:

1. Never go into a basement with

standing water in it unless you

are sure the electricity is oﬀ.

2. After ﬂoodwaters are no longer

on top of the ground, you can

start pumping the water out

of the basement. Do not use

gasoline-powered pumps or gen-

erators indoors because gasoline

engines create deadly carbon

monoxide exhaust fumes.

3. Pump the water level down 2 to

3 feet. Mark the level and wait

overnight.

4. Check the water level the next

day. If the water went back up,

it’s still too early to try to drain

the basement. Wait overnight

again. en pump the water

down 2 to 3 feet again. Check

the level the next day.

5. When the water stops going

back up, pump down another 2

to 3 feet and wait overnight. Re-

peat steps 4 and 5 until all water

is pumped out of the basement.

Hose the House and Its

Contents

e mud left behind by ﬂood-

waters contains most of the health

hazards you will face. It is very

important to get rid of the mud as

soon as possible. is is a lot easier if

it is done before the mud dries out.

Follow these steps:

1. Shovel out as much mud as pos-

sible.

2. Make sure the electricity is turned

oﬀ. Unplug all appliances and

lamps, remove all light bulbs,

and remove the cover plates to

wall switches and outlets that

got wet. Check with your local

building department to see if

your code allows you to discon-

nect the wiring from the switch-

es and outlets.

If the code does not allow you to

disconnect them, leave the wires

connected and pull them out

of their boxes as shown in the

drawing. ey can be replaced

during Step 5 by an electrician

Health Precautions

Assume that anything touched t

by ﬂoodwaters is contaminated

Wash hands frequentlyt

Disinfect everything ﬂoodwa-t

ters have touched

STEP

Give Your Home First Aid

STEP

Give Your Home First Aid

If the code permits, it is prob-

ably best to throw away switches

and outlets that were ﬂooded

and replace them with new ones

(see Step 5).

3. Check your water system for

leaks from pipes that may have

moved (see Step 5). Even if your

water supply is not safe to drink,

it can be used for cleaning the

home. If you have water, hose

the home down, inside and out.

If you have an attachment that

sprays soap, wash and then rinse

the walls and ﬂoors. Hose the

furniture and other major items

that got muddy.

4. Heating and air conditioning

ducts that got ﬂooded will have

mud left in them. If you don’t

clean them out, your system will

be blowing foul, dusty air that

contains the same health hazards

you are trying to get rid of. To

clean the ducts, remove the vents

or registers. If possible, remove

some sections of the ducts in

the basement or crawlspace to

give you access to all areas. en

thoroughly hose out all the

ducts.

5. While you hose the walls, thor-

oughly hose out the electrical

outlet, switch boxes, and light

sockets that you opened up.

Read Step 5 before turning the

electricity back on.

6. After you hose out the duct work

to remove the mud, wash it with

a disinfectant or sanitizer, such as

the quaternary, phenolic, or pine

oil based ones. (Check labels for

the contents and instructions.)

If your ducts are in a slab or

are otherwise inaccessible, have

them cleaned by a professional.

7. Don’t let the water sit on the

ﬂoor for long, especially if your

ﬂoor has particle board or other

wood product that tends to fall

apart when wet. Use a mop, “wet

vac,” or squeegee.

Records to Keep

Damage to the buildingt

Damage to the contents (see t

sample inventory form, next

page)

Receipts for cleanup and resto-t

ration expenses, such as materi-

als, labor, and equipment rental,

and receipts for ﬂood-related

expenses, such as motel bills.

(Keep these in one place, like in

an envelope in your car.)

STEP

Get Organized

efore you try to clean up and re-

pair everything, you need to assess

your damage and develop a recovery

plan. An organized approach will

make the best use of your time and

money. If your structure is substantial-

ly damaged, you need to ask yourself if

you should rebuild at all—it may be

smarter, safer, and cheaper to relocate.

If you do rebuild, your recovery plan

should include the ﬂoodprooﬁng mea-

sures that can be incorporated with

repairs and can save you thousands of

dollars in the future (see Step 8).

Call Your Insurance Agent

You need to tell your agent about

the damage to your home and

contents so that your agent can ﬁle

a claim. e sooner you can talk to

your agent, the sooner your claim

will be ﬁled and an adjuster will be

assigned to review your damage.

How much of your loss is covered

will depend on your policy. But

even if you don’t have full coverage,

your agent may be able to give you

advice about where to get help with

cleanup and repairs.

Your property insurance will fall

into one of three categories:

1. Homeowner’s insurance usu-

ally covers losses caused by wind,

storm, or broken water pipes,

but not surface ﬂooding. Some

homeowner’s policies may cover

basement ﬂooding caused by

sewer backup or sump pump

failure.

2. Flood insurance covers most

losses caused by surface

ﬂoodwater.

3. Wind and hail insurance

covers losses in coastal areas

from the winds of a hurricane.

In coastal areas, homeowner’s

insurance often does not cover

damage from wind.

Read your insurance policies so

that you will know what is covered

and what is not. If your insurance

covers the damages, your agent will

tell you when you can expect an

adjuster to contact you. e adjuster

will determine the costs to repair

the damage to your home and your

belongings. e adjuster will then

submit those costs to the insur-

ance company for ﬁnal approval.

Your agent will also tell you what to

throw away, and what to set aside

for the adjuster to review. Find

out if your insurance covers living

expenses while your home is being

repaired. (Flood insurance does not

cover that cost.)

Start Listing the Damage

List the damage and take pictures

or videos as you clean up so you

will have a complete and thorough

record. Good records are needed for

insurance claims, applications for

disaster assistance, and income tax

deductions.

Some items that are health

hazards, such as rotting food and

debris, should be thrown away.

STEP

Get Organized

STEP

Get Organized

Tell your agent or adjuster that

you need to get rid of this trash be-

fore you throw it out. ey should

tell you what to do so that all of

your losses can be recorded properly

by the adjuster. (See page 15 regard-

ing items to discard.) You may be

told to keep a sample of items such

as a piece of carpet or upholstery

to show the value of what you have

thrown away.

Ask someone to sign your record

as a witness. If you have ﬂood insur-

ance, you will need to ﬁle a Proof

of Loss form within 60 days of the

ﬂood (see Step 7). Completing your

own inventory form will make this

form easier to complete and will also

help the adjuster determine the costs

to repair the damage to your home

and belongings.

Check for Structural Damage

You need to ﬁnd out whether

there is any structural damage to

your home. (You will probably need

professional help in making this

decision.)

Is there evidence of broken or

cracked basement or foundation

walls? Are there broken pilings,

shifted stairs, or slanted ﬂoors or

walls? Any of these things could

mean that the foundation, ﬂoors, or

walls will have to be totally rebuilt.

Repair safety hazards such as broken

pilings or an undermined founda-

tion before you proceed any further.

Get professional help for any task

you cannot conﬁdently do yourself.

You will need a building permit

to repair structural damage. Talk to

your local building department be-

fore you start reconstruction or sign

any repair contracts. If the damage

to your home’s structure exceeds 50

percent of the market value of your

home, most local building codes will

require you to elevate it above ﬂood

levels. Some may not allow you to

rebuild at all. (For more information

on building permits, see Step 8.)

Ask the Big Question

Odds are that the area where you

live will ﬂood again. Before you

spend a great deal of money and

eﬀort repairing and rebuilding, ask

yourself this question:

Do I really want to be

ﬂooded again?

If you think that you would be

better oﬀ in a diﬀerent location, talk

to your local government or disaster

assistance oﬃcials about help in re-

building where ﬂoods can no longer

damage your home.

ere are programs that will buy

some properties with homes that

have been destroyed or substantially

damaged. Other programs give

ﬁnancial help to move or elevate

homes so they are above ﬂood levels.

See Step 7 for more information on

ﬂoodprooﬁng assistance programs.

If you decide to stay, you can still

make your home less susceptible to

damage from the next ﬂood. Before

you start repairing and replacing

things, look at the ﬂoodprooﬁng

measures in Step 8. Floodprooﬁng

as you repair and rebuild can save

a great deal of money over time.

Protecting your home from future

ﬂoods will also add value to your

property.

Plan Your Recovery

Get organized with a recovery

plan. A recovery plan is simply a

list of jobs that need to be done.

Planning can help you save time and

money. Doing things in the right

order will also make everyone feel

better—you’ll know you are making

progress without wasting eﬀorts.

To develop a recovery plan, fol-

low these steps:

Make sure it is safe to work in P

your home. You’ll want to go

back to your home as quickly as

possible. But you must make sure

the building is safe and sound

(see Step 2).

Review the rest of the recovery P

steps in this book. Start making

lists. Begin with the projects such

as “replace furnace” and “dry out

walls.” Write down items you will

need such as cleaning supplies or

ﬁlm and paper for record keep-

ing. If necessary, make plans for a

place to stay while you clean up.

Decide what you can and can’t P

do. You can save money by do-

ing much of the work described

in this book as you can. But be

realistic. Jobs such as propping up

broken foundations and replacing

electrical service boxes are best

left to the professionals. Many

other jobs may be too involved or

too heavy for you.

Decide if you need ﬁnancial P

assistance. If you need to replace

items or hire a professional and

you don’t have insurance, there

may be some voluntary organiza-

tions that can help you (see Step

7). Check your local newspaper

and radio and TV stations for

notices about Red Cross, church,

and government disaster pro-

grams.

Check with your mortgage P

holder. If your mortgage holder

is listed on your insurance policy,

you cannot cash your insur-

ance claim check without their

approval. Before you decide on

repairing and ﬂoodprooﬁng,

make sure that your loan will not

be aﬀected. e mortgage holder

may be able to provide ﬁnancial

help, such as deferring interest

payments for a month or two.

ink before you use credit P

cards. Credit cards may be the

fastest way to handle repair and

rebuilding expenses, but they are

also very costly. eir interest

rates can be up to 2 percent per

month (24 percent per year). A

second mortgage or low interest

government loan is a much less

expensive way to borrow money

for home repairs.

Keep talking openly with your P

family. Some of the biggest prob-

lems that come with a disaster are

the mental strain of the loss and

worries about the future. Work

together and let everyone know

what you will be doing in the

days ahead.

Cleanup and Repair—

Who Does What?

Jobs a homeowner can usually

handle by following the steps in this

book

Sorting contents to be repaired or t

discarded

Drying the ceiling, walls, and ﬂoorst

Drying and cleaning electrical cir-t

cuits and boxes (if code allows)

Removing minor debris such as t

branches and trash

Checking the gas or oil systemt

Fixing leaky pipest

Checking sewage disposal systemt

Cleaning building and contentst

Checking sources of ﬁnancial as-t

sistance

Minor ﬂoodprooﬁng projects such t

as building an earthen wall or rais-

ing appliances

Jobs that usually require services of a

professional

Structural repairst

Restoring electrical servicet

Wallboard taping and ﬁnishingt

Checking the water system to t

ensure that it is safe to drink. (at

service is often free from the local

health department.)

Major debris removal such as tree t

cutting

Electrical and gas appliance and t

motor cleaning and repair

Cleaning leather, furs, upholstered t

furniture, and expensive carpeting

Major ﬂoodprooﬁng projects such t

as moving or elevating a home

STEP

Get Organized

STEP

Dry Out Your Home

STEP

Dry Out Your Home

loodwaters can aﬀect a home in

three ways:

1. e water damages materials.

Wallboard will disintegrate if it

remains wet too long; wood can

swell, warp, or rot; and electrical

parts can short out, malfunction,

and cause ﬁres or shock.

2. Mud, silt, and unknown contami-

nants in the water not only get

everything dirty, they also create a

health hazard.

3. Dampness promotes the growth of

mildew, a mold or fungus that can

grow on everything.

e following steps work on all

three of these problems. It is very

important that they be followed in

order.

Lower the Humidity

Everything will dry more quickly

and clean more easily if you can

reduce the humidity in the home.

ere are six ways to lower the hu-

midity and stop the rot and mildew.

But you’ll have to delay using some

methods if you have no electricity.

(Read Step 5 before you attempt to

restore the utilities.)

Open up the house. P If the

humidity outside is lower than

indoors, and if the weather

permits, open all the doors and

windows to exchange the moist

indoor air for drier outdoor air.

Your body will tell if the humid-

ity is lower outdoors. If the sun

is out, it should be drier outside.

If you have a thermometer with a

humidity gauge, you can monitor

the indoor and outdoor humid-

ity. On the other hand, when

temperatures drop at night, an

open home is warmer and will

draw moisture indoors. At night

and other times when the humid-

ity is higher outdoors, close up

the house.

Open closet and cabinet doors. P

Remove drawers to allow air

circulation. Drawers may stick

because of swelling. Don’t try

to force them. Speed drying by

opening up the back of the cabi-

net to let the air circulate. You

will probably be able to remove

the drawers as the cabinet dries

out.

Use fans. P Fans help move the air

and dry out your home. Do not

use central air conditioning or the

furnace blower if the ducts were

under water. ey will blow out

dirty air, that might contain con-

taminants from the sediment left

in the duct work. Clean or hose

out the ducts ﬁrst (see Step 2).

Run dehumidiﬁers. P Dehumidi-

ﬁers and window air conditioners

will reduce the moisture, espe-

cially in closed up areas.

Use desiccants. P Desiccants

(materials that absorb moisture)

are very useful in drying closets

or other enclosed areas where air

cannot move through.

Desiccants like those listed below

are usually available at hardware,

grocery, or drug stores.

Chemical dehumidiﬁer packs t

used for drying boats and damp

closets.

Cat litter made of clay.t

Calcium chloride pellets used for t

melting ice in the winter. Hang

pellets in a pillow case, nylon

stocking, or other porous bag.

Put a bucket underneath to catch

dripping water. Close the closet

or area being dried. Be careful.

Calcium chloride can burn your

skin. It will also make the air

salty, so do not use this product

near computers or other delicate

equipment.

Call a contractor. t ere are con-

tractors who specialize in drying

out ﬂooded buildings. ey have

large fans and dehumidiﬁers that

can dry out a home in a few days.

Look in the yellow pages under

Fire and Water Damage Restora-

tion or under Dehumidifying.

Be careful about contractors who

inﬂate prices after a disaster or

request payment in advance.

Be patient. Drying your home

could take several weeks. Until your

home is reasonably dry, damage

caused by mildew and decay will

continue. e musty odor will

remain forever if the home is not

thoroughly dried out well.

Sort Contents and Discard

Debris

You have three types of contents

that should go to three diﬀerent

places:

things you want to savet

things you don’t want to savet

garbaget

ings you want to save

Move them to a safe, dry place,

such as the second story or outside.

e longer they sit in water, the

more damaged they become. In

some cases, you may only be able to

move them to one room while you

clean the other rooms. Don’t leave

wood furniture in the sun or it will

warp when it dries. To save an area

rug, lay a sheet or some other mate-

rial on top so the colors will not

bleed. Promptly clean it.

ings you don’t want to save

Put things you don’t want to save

outside to dry until the adjuster

comes to conﬁrm your losses. Take

pictures or videos and list each item

for the record. If you are not sure

whether to throw something out,

decide if it is worth salvaging by

checking the information in Step 6.

Garbage

Get rid of food and anything else

that could spoil or go bad imme-

diately. Don’t let garbage build up.

Garbage piles will cause yet another

health hazard by attracting animals

and insects. If your insurance ad-

juster has not come, tell your agent

or adjuster that you need to get rid

of potential health hazards. at

person will tell you how to make

sure that your losses are covered.

en throw the stuﬀ out, preferably

in sealed plastic garbage bags.

Don’t take chances with frozen

food if electricity went oﬀ, unless

Questions About the

Safety of Your Food?

Call the USDA Food Safety Hotline:

1-888-674-6854

Professional home economists will

answer your questions from 10 a.m.

to 4 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday

through Friday.

Items Soaked by

Floodwater

Should I Throw Them Out?

Usually

Mattresses, pillows, foam rubber,

large carpets, carpet padding, up-

holstered couches and chairs, books,

paper products

Always

Food, cosmetics, medical supplies,

stuﬀed animals, baby toys

STEP

Dry Out Your Home

STEP

Dry Out Your Home

food is still thoroughly frozen and

contains ice crystals. As a rule, food

will remain frozen for up to 3 days

in a closed freezer without power.

Don’t refreeze thawed food. How-

ever, you can cook meat that was

partially thawed and then refreeze it.

Properly dispose of discarded

items. Do not burn or bury them.

ere usually will be more frequent

garbage pickups after a ﬂood. Your

local radio and TV stations will have

announcements concerning trash

pickup schedules and drop-oﬀ sites.

How Floodwaters Affect Your

Home

Once contents and debris have

been cleared, the next step is to get

the water out of the ceilings and

walls. How you drain and dry your

ceilings and walls depends on of

what they are made.

Wallboard

Most ceilings and walls are cov-

ered with wallboard, especially in

newer homes. Wallboard will act like

a sponge, drawing water up above

the ﬂood level. It becomes very

fragile if it stays wet for long and

will fall apart when bumped. When

the wallboard ﬁnally dries, there still

will be mud and contaminants dried

inside.

Wallboard that has been soaked

by ﬂoodwater presents a permanent

health hazard. erefore, this book

recommends that you throw out

ﬂooded wallboard. On the other

hand, if the wallboard was soaked

by clean rainwater, it can be dried in

place with plenty of fresh air moving

through the area.

Plaster

Plaster will survive a ﬂood better

than wallboard. It should not have

to be replaced but it will take a very

long time to dry.

Sometimes the plaster will

separate from the wood laths as it

dries. en the wall will have to be

removed and replaced.

Insulation

ere are three main types of

insulation and each reacts diﬀerently

to ﬂoodwaters. Foam board insula-

tion survives best; it may only need

to be hosed oﬀ.

Fiberglass batts should be discard-

ed if they are muddy. If soaked by

clean rainwater, remove them so the

rest of the wall can dry. ey can be

put back in the wall, but it will take

a very long time to dry.

Cellulose (loose or blown-in

treated paper) insulation will hold

water for a long time. It can also

lose its antifungal and ﬁre retardant

abilities. erefore, ﬂooded cellulose

insulation should be replaced.

Wood

If allowed to dry naturally, wood

will generally regain its original

shape. Diﬀerent layers of laminated

wood, such as plywood, may dry at

diﬀerent rates, causing the layers to

separate.

Some contaminants will stay in

the wood pores after it dries, but

not as much as stays in ﬂooded

wallboard. Wood studs and sills will

Water and Wood

Wood always has some water in it,

but a ﬂood can bring its moisture

content up to 30 percent. is causes

swelling. However, if allowed to

dry naturally, wood will usually go

back to its original shape. Unlike

wallboard, wet studs and sills that

are touched by ﬂoodwaters do not

need to be thrown out. Hollow wood

doors usually have cardboard spacers

in the middle that lose their shape

when wet. Generally, these doors

come apart after they are ﬂooded and

need to be replaced.

be covered by new wallboard and

painted, so they are well removed

from human contact. erefore, wet

wood studs and sills do not need to

be replaced if they are allowed to dry

properly.

Drain the Ceilings and Walls

Ceilings

Check for sagging ceilings. Drain

them carefully as shown in Step 2.

If the ﬂoodwaters went above your

ceiling, you should replace it if it is

made of wallboard. A plaster ceiling

will dry eventually but, if it has too

many cracks or sags, you will have to

tear it down and replace it. Remove

any wet insulation in the ceiling to

allow the joists to dry.

Walls

Remove water trapped within

your walls. To check for water, take

oﬀ the baseboard. Stick an awl or

knife into the wall about 2 inches

above the ﬂoor (just above the 2 x 4

wood sill plate). If water drips out,

cut or drill a hole large enough to

allow water to freely drain. (Use a

hand or cordless drill or saw to avoid

shock.) If you are going to replace

the wallboard anyway, you don’t

have to be neat: use a hammer to

knock out a hole.

If your walls are plaster, a knife

won’t penetrate them. Drill a hole

above the sill plate to drain the

water. (Use a hand or cordless drill

to avoid shock.) Do not use a ham-

mer or chisel on plaster because the

plaster could shatter.

In a newer home, you may have

metal sill plates. A metal sill acts as

a trough at the bottom of the wall

cavity. Drill a hole at ﬂoor level to

drain the water, using a hand or

cordless drill.

Repeat the process to drain all

the wall cavities. Depending on the

spacing between studs in your walls,

make a hole every 16 or every 24

inches. Watch out for the wiring,

STEP

Dry Out Your Home

STEP

Dry Out Your Home

which is usually at the same height

as your electrical outlets. If there is

wet insulation, you will have to re-

move the wallboard in order to take

out all the insulation.

Floodwater soaked wallboard is

usually removed and thrown away.

Plaster and paneling can often be

saved, but you still need to get air

circulating in the wall cavities to

dry the studs and sills. Diﬀerent

approaches are used for diﬀerent

materials.

Wallboard

If ﬂoodwaters soaked the wall-

board at least 4 feet above the

ﬂoor, you should take down all the

wallboard and replace it. If the water

level was less than 4 feet deep, re-

move the lower 4 feet of wallboard.

You can ﬁll the gap with 4 x 8 sheets

installed sideways.

If you have foam board insula-

tion—or no insulation—and the

wallboard was soaked with clean

rainwater, you can dry the walls

without removing the wallboard

using the technique explained below

for plaster walls. But you will need

to remove wet insulation if it is not

foam board insulation.

Plaster walls

If the plaster or wallboard is clean

and in good shape, you can drill or

cut ventilating holes in each wall

cavity. Place holes low enough so

they will be covered by the base-

board after the wall dries out. Open

up the wall on both sides of interior

walls. For exterior walls, drill or cut

holes on the inside of the house.

However, if there is wet insulation,

you will have to remove the plaster

or wallboard in order to take out all

the insulation.

Concrete block

e cavities in a concrete block

wall will drain on their own. e

water will not damage the concrete

like it will wood or wallboard.

Wallcovering

Vinyl wallcovering seals the wall

and prevents drying. Wallpaper

paste is a favorite home for mold

and mildew. For these reasons, you

should remove all wallcovering that

got wet and throw it out. If vinyl

wallcovering is loose on the bottom,

you may be able to save it by pulling

it oﬀ the wall up to the ﬂood level.

Clean and reapply it after everything

dries.

Cleaning Floor Coverings

Small throw rugs can be saved and t

cleaned in a washing machine.

Indoor-outdoor carpeting can he t

hosed oﬀ and hung up to dry.

Large rugs and those with foam t

backing should be discarded. (Usu-

ally only valuable carpets are worth

the cost of professional cleaning.)

After getting wet, wall-to-wall t

carpeting usually will not return

to its former size and has to be

thrown away. erefore, make the

job easier by cutting it in strips and

discarding it in pieces that are small

enough to be carried. Watch out

for the tack-down strips along the

wall; they often have nails sticking

up to hold the carpet down.

A wall-to-wall carpet that was t

soaked by clean rainwater can be

left in place and dried.

Tile, vinyl, and linoleum ﬂooring t

should be removed if it is warped,

loose, or has a foam rubber pad

(which should be thrown away).

Paneling

Carefully pry the bottom of

each panel away from the wall. Use

something to hold the bottom away

from the sill so the cavities can drain

and dry out. You can nail them back

into shape after they and the studs

dry out. However, if there is wet

insulation, you will have to remove

the paneling in order to take out all

the insulation.

Dry the Floor

Air needs to circulate around

ﬂooded ﬂoors so they can dry out.

is means removing the ﬂoor cov-

ering. Because ﬂoodwaters contain

mud and dirt, most soaked ﬂoor

coverings should be thrown away.

Keep a piece of all discarded ﬂoor

covering so the adjuster can tell its

value.

Air also needs to circulate below

the ﬂoor to dry it out. If the crawl-

space of your home is ﬂooded,

pump it out. Remove any plastic

sheets, vapor barriers, or insulation

from underneath the ﬂoor. (Be sure

to replace them when the ﬂoor and

foundation are completely dry.)

If a home with a basement was

ﬂooded over the ﬁrst ﬂoor, remove

ﬁnished basement ceilings, or cut

or drill holes between all the joists

to allow circulation. Don’t cut or

drill near electric lines or pipes. You

have now reached the stage where

no more damage should occur to

your home. Exterior holes have

been patched, the utilities have been

turned oﬀ, and the drying process

has started. It may take days or

weeks, depending on the humidity,

for all the wood to dry out. You can

do Steps 5, 6, and 7 while the home

is drying. However, do not start Step

8, Rebuild and Floodproof, until the

home is completely dry.

STEP

Dry Out Your Home

STEP

Restore Your Utilities

he rest of your work will be much

easier if you have heat, electric-

ity, clean water, and sewage disposal.

However, it may take some time for a

repair professional to be able to help

you. erefore, you should go to Step 6

and do all the cleaning you can while

you wait for one or more of these util-

ity systems to be restored.

Gas and Oil Systems

If your furnace, water heater,

stove, or other gas or oil appli-

ances were ﬂooded to the level of

the burners, turn oﬀ the valve on

the pipe to the appliance. If they

were hot when ﬂooded, parts may

have cracked. Flood insurance and

federal disaster assistance programs

will help replace ﬂooded gas and oil

appliances. If you want to keep a

gas or oil appliance, have it cleaned

professionally.

A cracked, plugged, or leaky

chimney can cause ﬁres or carbon

monoxide poisoning. Be sure you

check metal and brick chimneys for

dirt, debris, and leaks before lighting

the furnace or a ﬁre.

Gas System

If the gas has been turned oﬀ at

the main valve serving your home,

you need to have a professional

restore gas service to your home,

relight pilot lights, and do a ﬁnal

check of the system.

If the gas valve serving only one

appliance is turned oﬀ, then you can

STEP

Restore Your Utilities

relight that appliance. First, make

sure the room is well-ventilated and

that there are no open ﬂames (or

bare electric wires) anywhere.

en turn on the gas valve.

Check for leaky pipes. Let the gas

run for a minute or two to clean any

air and impurities out of the pipes.

en turn the gas oﬀ for a minute

to allow the gas in the air to go away

before you light the appliance.

Oil System

Make sure your main oil valve is

turned oﬀ. Check your oil pump.

If it got wet, have the pump profes-

sionally checked and cleaned. If you

want to clean it yourself, see Step 6

Look carefully for any signs of

leaking oil; if you see any, call a

professional. Look for signs that the

pipes or oil tank moved during the

ﬂood. Oil tanks, even buried ones,

will ﬂoat when ﬂooded. After you

have turned the electricity back on,

open the main valve and turn the

pump on. Check for leaky pipes (see

above).

Propane, L-P, and Butane

Systems

ese fuels are kept in pressurized

tanks, so there is no electric pump

to turn on. Check the tanks for

signs of movement or ﬂoating. en

follow the instructions above for gas

systems.

Leaky Pipes

1. Check for leaky fuel pipes by

smelling for gas. A chemical that

has a disagreeable, distinctive

odor is added to natural gas and

propane to tell you if there is a

leak. If you have any doubts, have

a professional check for you. Do

not use open ﬂames.

2. Make sure the valve that leads to

each appliance is closed.

3. If you ﬁnd any pipes that moved

or any area that smells like gas,

brush soapy water on each pipe

connection. e pressure in the

pipes will make bubbles appear

where there is a leak.

4. If you ﬁnd a leak, turn oﬀ the

gas. Unscrew the pipe connec-

tion, clean the joint, and apply

pipe joint compound or pipe tape

(available at hardware stores) on

the threads. Screw the pieces back

together tightly.

5. Turn on the gas and check the

connection again with soapy wa-

ter. If you have a leak, or if you are

not sure your system is safe, turn

oﬀ the gas and immediately call a

professional.

Electrical System

Check with your building or

electrical inspector to see how much

work you can do on your wiring.

Many local codes require that a

licensed electrician do the work, or

that a municipal inspector check

the system before you can turn the

power back on. e electrical system

should be tackled in two parts: the

main breaker or fuse box and the

circuits. If the main box got wet, it

should be checked and cleaned by

an electrician before you turn the

power back on. You should have

the electrician move your main box

above ﬂood level for future protec-

tion.

Meanwhile, if you are comfort-

able working with electrical ﬁxtures

and wiring, you can clean the

ﬂooded circuits. Otherwise call an

electrician.

To clean a ﬂooded circuit, follow

these steps in order:

1. Check the switch at the main

breaker or fuse box to make sure

that the power is still oﬀ. Take

out the fuses or switch oﬀ the

breakers to the circuits you will

be working on.

2. As noted at the end of Step 2,

everything should be unplugged

and all light bulbs should be re-

moved. e switches and outlets

should be out of the wall. Check

the switches and outlets and

their boxes for mud and dirt that

can cause a short or overheating.

Hose or wash any mud out of

the boxes.

3. If you see a lot of mud, dirt,

or saltwater corrosion in the

switches or outlets, replace them.

If you want to keep the switches

and outlets that were ﬂooded,

rinse them thoroughly in a pail

of water. Let them dry for at

least 24 hours.

4. Check the condition of the wire

that goes to each switch and each

outlet. Replace any fabric cov-

ered wire. Plastic covered wire

does not need to be removed

unless it has been ﬂooded with

saltwater. Aluminum wiring may

be severely corroded by saltwater,

so all aluminum wiring that has

been ﬂooded by saltwater should

be replaced before proceeding.

5. After everything has dried out,

check to make sure the fuses are

still out or the breakers are still

switched oﬀ. en re-install the

switches and outlets or install

new ones.

If your main box was not ﬂooded

or if it has been cleaned and checked

by an electrician, you can test each

circuit once it is cleaned.

To test a cleaned circuit:

1. Make sure nothing is plugged in

and no wall switches are turned

on.

2. Install the fuse or turn the breaker

to “ON.” Install the main fuse

or turn on the main breaker.

Some fuse boxes have a main

switch—a handle on the outside

of the box that is easier to use

than taking out and replacing

the main fuses.

3. If the fuse blows or the breaker

clicks back to “oﬀ,” you have a

short somewhere. Recheck your

cleaning and installation work.

Electrical Safety

Use only the electrically operated t

tools you need, one at a time, to

avoid overloading a few working

circuits.

If appliances or motors have got-t

ten wet, have them taken apart,

cleaned, and dried before plugging

them back in again.

Make sure all appliances are t

properly grounded. is is most

important if there was damage to

the wiring from the ﬂood or during

the cleaning.

Mud or dirt in a grounded outlet t

or adapter may prevent the

grounding system from working,

and you could be electrocuted. If

you are unsure of whether your

electrical system is properly

grounded, call an electrician.

When in doubt, call an electrician. t

Electrocution is a major killer in

ﬂoods.

Important

It is very important that your utility

systems and appliances be turned

back on the correct way. A leaky

gas pipe, an ungrounded electrical

appliance, or contaminated water is

a serious safety and health hazard.

If you are not comfortable working

on your utilities or appliances, call a

professional.

STEP

Restore Your Utilities

STEP

Restore Your Utilities

If the fuse or breaker are okay,

wait 15 minutes and then walk

around the home. Look for

sparks or the pungent smell of

an electrical short. If there are

any signs of smoking or heating,

if the fuse blows, or if a breaker

goes oﬀ, turn the power oﬀ and

call an electrician.

4. If there are no signs of problems,

turn the power oﬀ again. Plug

a lamp or small appliance in an

outlet on the circuit you just

tested, or turn on a light switch.

Be sure that the appliance you

are using to test each outlet is

properly working.

5. Turn the power back on and

check the fuse or breaker.

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for each

outlet and wall switch to check

for shorts or problems.

7. Bathroom and outdoor circuits

often have a ground fault circuit

interrupter at the breaker box or

at a wall outlet. ese are very

sensitive and may keep trip-

ping the circuit oﬀ, so you may

have to be extremely thorough

in cleaning and drying these

circuits.

Water Supply

Public water suppliers usually

provide water soon after the ﬂood. If

you are unsure of your water supply,

only use it to hose your home or for

sanitation purposes (e.g., ﬂushing

the toilet).

Buy bottled water for drinking if

you can. Sometimes large water stor-

age tanks called “water buﬀalos” are

brought to communities that need

clean water. ey are ﬁlled with

clean drinking water from places

outside your area and are towed to

your location, often by National

Guard or U.S. military personnel.

A “boil order” may be issued in

your community. If such an order

has been issued, do the following:

1. Fill a large pot with water from

the tap.

2. Strain the water through cheese-

cloth, a sheet, or other clean,

porous material to remove as

many solids as you can.

3. Bring the water to a rumbling

boil and let it boil for at least 5

minutes.

4. Pour the water back and forth

between two clean pots. is will

help it cool and will also add air

to the water to make it taste bet-

ter.

5. Let the water cool. After it is

cool, add 16 drops of liquid

chlorine bleach per gallon of

water. Let the water stand a

half hour. If it gives oﬀ a slight

chlorine smell and looks clear,

it’s OK to use.

If you do not smell the chlorine

or if the water is still cloudy, add

another 16 drops of liquid chlo-

rine bleach and let it stand another

half hour. If you smell chlorine, it’s

okay to use. If you have treated it

again and it still does not smell like

chlorine, don’t use it for drinking or

cooking.

Do not cook in pots and pans, or

use eating utensils, baby blankets, or

any other items that could go in the

mouth until they have been washed

in water that has been tested and ap-

proved by your local water supplier

or health department.

Wells. Private wells should be

pumped until the water is clear. You

can decide whether water is clear

enough to hose the home and do

other cleaning work. Check with the

local health department for instruc-

tions before you drink or cook with

your well water. eir instructions

will account for minerals and chemi-

cals that naturally occur in your

area. e health department should

be able to advise you about the

best way to have your water tested

if necessary. If there are no speciﬁc

instructions from the local health

department, follow these steps to

treat your well and water:

1. Open your faucets to pump the

water out of your well. Let them

run for at least 15 minutes or

until you lose pressure.

2. Pour 1 quart of liquid chlorine

bleach in the well and leave it for

at least 4 hours. Do not use any

water during this time.

3. Open all the faucets and let

them run until you smell chlo-

rine at each faucet.

4. Turn oﬀ the faucets and let the

water sit in the pipes for 2 to

4 hours. Do not use any water

during this time.

5. Flush out the system by running

the taps until you can no longer

taste or smell the chlorine.

Water Heater. Check your

water heater. If ﬂoodwaters got into

the gas burner, electrical parts, or

insulation, it should be replaced. If

you want to save it, have it cleaned

and restarted by a professional. Be

sure to ﬂush clean water through it

before you wash dishes or clothes

with hot water.

Sewage Disposal

Public sewers should work soon

after a ﬂood, but mud and debris

might clog them. Flush the toilet

before you use it. If it is clogged,

check with your local sewer depart-

ment to see if the problem is in the

main line. You may need to clean

out the sewer line from your home

to the main line.

Septic systems will not work

until the ground water level is below

the distribution lines. So be careful

about ﬂushing the toilet and pour-

ing things down the drain; they may

not have anywhere to go. Until your

toilet works, you can line it with a

plastic trash can liner and dispose of

the bag following local public health

recommendations.

Cleanup and Repair—

Who does what?

If your home will be unheated for

a few days, and the temperature

will fall below freezing, you should

winterize your water pipes so they

will not freeze and break. A plumber

can blow out the pipes to make sure

they are empty. Or you can take the

following steps to protect your water

and sewer system from damage due

to freezing temperatures:

1. Shut oﬀ the main water valve. (It

is usually found at the water meter.)

2. Turn on all the faucets in the

home, both the hot and the cold

taps. Leave them on and let them

run.

3. Turn oﬀ the hot water heater.

Open the faucet at the bottom of

the water heater to drain it. You may

want to connect a hose to the faucet

so you can control where the water

goes. Be careful; the water may be

very hot.

4. Flush the toilets to empty their

water tanks.

5. Wait for the lowest faucet in the

home to stop running. (is will

usually be a faucet in the basement.)

en check all faucets and toilets.

If they have stopped running or are

empty, your water system should be

drained.

6. Pour some propyleneglycol-based

antifreeze in all sinks, tubs, ﬂoor

drains, and toilet bowls. (is type

of antifreeze is available through

recreational vehicle and mobile home

dealers. Do not use regular automo-

tive antifreeze.) ese drains have

traps that keep water in them.

7. You can turn the main valve back

on after the building is heated. Do

this before you start your repairs.

at way, if there is a broken pipe, a

water leak won’t cause much damage.

STEP

Restore Your Utilities

STEP

Cleanup

STEP

Cleanup

he walls, ﬂoors, closets, shelves,

contents—every ﬂooded part of

your home—should be thoroughly

washed and disinfected. Some projects,

such as washing clothes, may have to

wait until all the utilities are restored.

Others may be best done by profession-

als. is section oﬀers suggestions on

the best way to clean ﬂooded items.

Cleanup Supplies

e Red Cross will often dis-

tribute cleanup kits after a disaster.

ese kits contain many useful

items such as a broom, mop, bucket,

and cleaning supplies.

In most cases, household clean-

ing products will do the job if you

use them correctly. Check the label

on the products to see how much

to use. Some products shouldn’t be

used on certain materials; the label

will tell you that. Apply cleaner and

give it time to work before you mop

or sponge it up. Follow directions

and all safety precautions on the

container.

After cleaning a room or item,

go over it again with a disinfectant

to kill the germs and odors left by

the ﬂoodwaters. You may also need

to get rid of mildew, an unwelcome

companion to moisture that shows

as fuzzy splotches.

Cleaning Tips

Tackle one room at a time. A two

bucket approach is most eﬃcient:

use one bucket for rinse water and

the other for the cleaner. Rinse

out your sponge, mop, or cleaning

cloth in the rinse bucket. Wring it

as dry as possible and keep it rolled

up tight as you put it in the cleaner

bucket. Let it unroll to absorb the

cleaner. Using two buckets keeps

most of the dirty rinse water out of

your cleaning solution. Frequently

replace the rinse water.

Walls

Start cleaning a wall at the bot-

tom or where the worst damage was.

If you did not have to remove the

wallboard or plaster, you may ﬁnd

the wallboard or plaster won’t come

clean and you will want to replace

it rather than clean it. If you have

removed the wallboard or plaster,

wash the studs and sills and disinfect

them.

Windows

If you taped your windows before

the storm, clean the tape oﬀ as

soon as possible. e sun will bake

the adhesive into the glass. If glass

cleaners don’t remove the adhesive,

try tar remover, acetone, nail polish

remover, or a razor blade. And next

time, don’t bother taping the win-

dows. You don’t get much protection

for all that eﬀort.

Furniture

Don’t try to force open swollen

wooden doors and drawers. Take oﬀ

the back of the piece of furniture to

let the air circulate. You probably

will be able to open the drawers

after they dry.

Solid wood furniture can usually

be repaired and cleaned, but wood

Cleaning Supplies

Checklist

Brooms, mops, brushes, spongest

Buckets, hosest

Rubber glovest

Ragst

Cleanerst

Disinfectantst

Lubricating oilst

Trash bagst

Hair dryerst

Cleaners

1st choice: Non-sudsing household

cleaners

2nd choice: Laundry soap or deter-

gent

Disinfectants

1st choice: Commercial disinfectants

or sanitizers, such as the quaternary,

phenolic, or pine oil based ones.

(Check labels for the contents.)

2nd choice: 1/4 cup (2 ounces) of

laundry bleach for 1 gallon of water.

Mildew Removers

1st choice: Commercial mildew

removers or mildewicides

2nd choice: Washing soda or tri-sodi-

um phosphate (available at grocery or

paint stores). Use 5 tablespoons per

gallon of water.

3rd choice: 1/4 cup (2 ounces) of

laundry bleach for 1 gallon of water.

See below for using bleach.

Bleach

Liquid chlorine bleach can be

used for a variety of ﬂood cleanup

jobs. Make sure that 5.25 percent

sodium hypochlorite is the only

active ingredient. Bleach that has a

scent added to improve its smell is

available. Scented bleach is ﬁne for

cleanup jobs, but don’t use it to treat

drinking water. Don’t use dry bleach

or any bleach that does not contain

chlorine.

Be careful of fumes and wear rubber

gloves. Read the safety instructions

on the label. Do not mix bleach with

other household chemical products,

especially ammonia or toilet bowl

cleaner, because the chemical reaction

can create a poisonous gas. Do not

use bleach on aluminum or linoleum.

veneer often separates and warps.

Wood alcohol or turpentine applied

with a cotton ball may remove white

mildew spots on wood. Cream

wood restorers with lanolin will help

restore good wooden furniture parts.

Upholstered furniture soaks up

contaminants from ﬂoodwaters and

should be cleaned only by a profes-

sional. is is also true of carpets

and bedding. Unless the piece is an

antique or especially valuable, up-

holstered furniture soaked by ﬂood-

waters probably should be thrown

out. Get a cost estimate from a

professional to see if the furniture is

worth saving.

Appliances

ere’s an unexpected danger of

shock with some electrical appli-

ances such as TV sets and radios.

Certain internal parts store elec-

tricity even when the appliance is

unplugged. Check the back for a

warning label. Appliances with such

labels will need professional clean-

ing. But ﬁrst, get a cost estimate to

see if they are worth saving.

You’ll need appliances such as the

washing machine, dryer, dishwasher,

and vacuum cleaner to help clean

your home and contents. e mo-

tors or heating elements can usually

be cleaned. If you can’t wait for a

professional cleaning job, unplug,

disassemble, and thoroughly hose

oﬀ the appliances (with hot water, if

possible). en clean and disinfect

them, but do not use detergents.

Clean and disinfect dishwashers,

washing machines, and dryers only

with water that has been declared

safe for drinking. Make sure the

sewer line is working before starting

a dishwasher or washing machine.

You can speed up the drying pro-

cess for motors and parts by using a

blow dryer and a moisture displace-

ment spray. Moisture displacement

sprays, such as electronics parts

cleaners or lubricating and penetrat-

ing oil, are available at hardware or

automotive parts stores. e sprays

can also stop rust and corrosion un-

til the appliance can be disassembled

and cleaned. One word of caution:

the sprays are ﬂammable. Read and

follow label instructions and precau-

tions.

Moving parts such as motors

and pulleys will need oil or grease.

Contacts and electrical switches can

be cleaned with a moisture displace-

ment spray or an aerosol contact

cleaner available at electronics or

auto parts stores. Allow a motor to

run for 30 minutes with no load be-

fore you use it. For example, run the

vacuum cleaner without connecting

the belt.

Watch for stripped or damaged

wire insulation. Be sure all appliances

are properly grounded. is is most

important if there was damage to the

wiring from the ﬂood or during clean-

ing. Appliances that must be grounded

have a round third prong on their

plugs. Review the information on your

electrical system in Step 5.

Refrigerators and freezers are

more complicated. ey may have

foam insulation and sealed com-

ponents that suﬀered little water

damage. But those appliances hold

food, so they should be cleaned,

disinfected, and checked by a profes-

sional, or replaced. If your repair

person says an expensive appliance

should be replaced, get the opinion

in writing and discuss it with your

STEP

Cleanup

STEP

Cleanup

insurance adjuster before you spend

money for another one.

Clothing and Linens

Even if your washing machine

did not get wet, do not use it until

you know that the water is safe

enough to drink and that your

sewer line works. (Perhaps a friend

or relative has a washing machine

you can use until yours is clean and

working.)

Before you wash clothes in the

washing machine, run the machine

through one full cycle. Be sure to

use hot water and a disinfectant or

sanitizer.

Take clothes and linens out-

doors and shake out dried mud or

dirt before you wash them. Hose

oﬀ muddy items to remove all dirt

before you put them in the washer.

at way your drain won’t clog.

Check the labels on clothes and

linens, and wash them in detergent

and warm water if possible. Adding

chlorine bleach to the wash cycle

will remove most mildew and sani-

tize the clothing, but bleach fades

some fabrics and damages other

fabrics. You can buy other sanitiz-

ers, such as pine oil cleaners, at the

grocery store to sanitize fabrics that

cannot be bleached.

If the label says “Dry Clean

Only,” shake out loose dirt and take

the item to a professional cleaner.

Furs and leather items are usually

worth the cost of professional clean-

ing. If you want to clean leather

yourself, wash the mud oﬀ and dry

the leather slowly away from heat or

sunlight.

Kitchen Items

row out soft plastic and po-

rous items that probably absorbed

whatever the ﬂoodwaters carried

in. Floodwaters are contaminated,

so you may want to wash dishes by

hand in a disinfectant. Air dry the

disinfected dishes; do not use a dish

towel.

Like the washing machine, the

dishwasher should also be used only

after you know your water is safe

to drink and your sewer line works.

Clean and disinfect it ﬁrst. en

use a hot setting to wash your pots,

pans, dishes, and utensils. (If you

have an energy saving setting, do

not use it.)

Food

row any food out that has been

touched by ﬂoodwaters. Even food

in tin cans should be discarded if

the cans got wet during the ﬂood

because there is no way to be abso-

lutely certain the food inside is safe.

Do not keep food in bottles or jars

with bottle caps or screw on lids—

they do not keep out ﬂoodwaters.

e U.S. Department of Agricul-

ture operates a food safety hot-line.

Professional home economists can

answer your questions about whether

to keep or discard food. Call 1-888-

674-6854 between 10:00 a.m. and

4:00 p.m, Eastern Time, Monday

through Friday.

Paper and Books

Valuable papers such as books,

photographs, and stamp collections

can be restored with a great deal of

eﬀort. ey can be rinsed and frozen

(in a frost-free freezer or commercial

meat locker) until you have time

to work on them. A slightly less

eﬀective alternative to preserving

an item is to place items in a sealed

container, such as a plastic bag, with

moth crystals.

Papers should be dried quickly

when they are thawed or unsealed

(a blow dryer will do). Don’t try to

force paper products apart, just keep

drying them. Photocopy valuable

papers and records soon because

substances in the water may make

them deteriorate.

If a computer disk or tape has

valuable information, rinse it in

clear water and put it in a plastic bag

in the refrigerator. Later, you can

take it to a professional drying cen-

ter and have the data transferred to a

good disk or tape. Many companies

that specialize in restoring comput-

ers and computer records after a

disaster are members of the Disaster

Recovery Institute International. To

ﬁnd a member company near you,

you can call the Institute at 1-866-

542-3744.

e Yard

As you get rid of things from

your home, don’t turn your yard

into a dump. Food and garbage

must be hauled away as soon as

possible. Other discarded items

should be removed as soon as your

insurance adjuster has told you how

to make sure their loss is covered.

Other things you throw away should

be removed as soon as your insur-

ance adjuster says it’s okay.

Mosquitoes can carry many

diseases, and a ﬂood can create idea

conditions for them to breed. Drain

or remove standing water that can

become a breeding ground. Dump

water out of barrels, old tires, and

cans. Check that your gutters are

clean and can drain. Ditches and

drains also need to be cleaned so

they can carry stormwater away

from your home.

If you can’t get rid of standing

water, use a commercial product

that kills mosquito larvae but does

not harm other animals. A slightly

less eﬀective method is to apply

a thin ﬁlm of cooking oil on the

water. Repeat the application within

a few days after a rain has disturbed

the ﬁlm.

e Lawn

Lawns usually survive being un-

derwater for up to 4 days. Saltwater

should be hosed oﬀ the lawn and

shrubs. Some grasses are not dam-

aged by saltwater ﬂooding. Check

with your local nursery, garden

store, or Cooperative Extension

Service. You may have to replace the

lawn if there was mud thicker than

1 inch deep, erosion, or chemicals in

the ﬂoodwaters.

Further Information

More detailed instructions

on how to clean your household

contents may be presented by local

media (e.g., newspapers, on radio

and TV stations) after a ﬂood event.

Many Cooperative Extension Ser-

vice oﬃces have more information,

especially on animals, vegetables,

landscape plants, and household

items. Check your local telephone

book under the name of your

county. For example, if you live in

Montgomery County, look under

the Montgomery County Coopera-

tive Extension Service.

STEP

Cleanup

STEP

Check on Financial Assistance

STEP

Check on Financial Assistance

ow much you rebuild and

replace depends on what you

can aﬀord. Four sources of ﬁnancial

assistance can help you through recov-

ery: insurance, government disaster

programs, voluntary agencies, and

businesses. If you are fully insured (80

percent of the replacement cost of your

home), you may only have to pay the

deductible and your ﬂood insurance

policy will pay for professional clean-

ing and reconstruction. Even if you are

insured, the other sources of assistance

can help with expenses that your insur-

ance policy doesn’t cover.

Voluntary Agencies

Private voluntary agencies such

as the American Red Cross, Salva-

tion Army, and church groups are

usually on the scene during or right

after a ﬂood. ese groups normally

provide for immediate needs such as

clothing, groceries, shelter, medical

aid, and counseling.

Some private organizations can

help you restore your home. ey

may oﬀer supplies or sometimes

volunteers to help you clean up and

rebuild. e services are usually

provided free of charge regardless of

a person’s eligibility for government

aid.

e American Red Cross provides

emergency assistance to people af-

fected by disasters, whether or not

the aﬀected area has been declared

a disaster area by a governor or the

President. All Red Cross disaster

assistance is free and is provided as

a gift of the American people. e

Red Cross does not receive funding

from the government to provide this

assistance.

e American Red Cross can help

by providing you with a voucher to

purchase new clothing, groceries,

essential medications, rent, bedding,

necessary furnishings, and other

items to meet emergency needs. e

Red Cross can also provide you with

a cleanup kit: broom, mop, bucket,

and cleaning supplies. Listen to

news reports to ﬁnd out where to

go for this assistance, or look up the

American Red Cross in the tele-

phone book. You can also ﬁnd your

local Red Cross chapter by doing a

search at the Red Cross web site at

http://www.redcross.org or calling

1-202-303-5000.

Businesses

Your local newspapers and radio

and TV stations will usually publi-

cize how businesses are contribut-

ing to the recovery process. Some

businesses may oﬀer reduced prices,

but be wary of “ﬂood sales” that are

selling ﬂood damaged items.

Some insurance companies and

lenders may let you delay or defer

your monthly payments. Sometimes

banks will make lower interest loans

available for reconstruction. While

these may seem easier to obtain than

government disaster loans, their

interest rates are usually higher.

Be careful about out-of-towners

oﬀering “special deals,” especially

repair contractors. Sometimes the

local builders’ association will oﬀer

advice on reconstruction or advice

on choosing contractors. (See Step 8

on dealing with repair contractors.)

Flood Insurance Claims

You may have as many as three

separate insurance policies: home-

owner’s, ﬂood, and wind and/or

hail. is section covers the proce-

dures for handling a ﬂood insurance

claim. Claims for non-ﬂood damage

will be handled in a similar manner.

You should call your ﬂood insur-

ance agent to report your damage as

soon as possible after the ﬂood. Your

agent will arrange for an adjuster to

visit your home so that your claim

can be settled. Be sure you leave

phone numbers where you can be

reached.

If you are unable to contact the

local agent, call the National Flood

Insurance Program at 1-888-379-

9531.

Under ideal conditions, the ad-

juster should contact you to set up

an appointment to visit your home

within a few days after you call

your agent. But if ﬂood damage is

widespread in your area, it may take

longer for the adjuster to visit, and it

make take time for your claim to be

settled. If ﬂooding is extensive, the

adjusters will schedule their visits to

review the most severe damage ﬁrst.

e adjuster cannot estimate your

damage until ﬂoodwaters are away

from the building.

In the meantime, protect your

home and its contents from

additional damage, but do not make

repairs that make it impossible for

the adjuster to see the damage. Step

2 discusses how to protect your

home from further damage.

While you are waiting for the

adjuster, the following suggestions

will help you organize the informa-

tion that you will need:

Take photos or video the P

damage to both the inside and

outside of the building and the

contents.

Separate your damaged and P

undamaged belongings and

store them for the adjuster to

examine.

Find receipts, canceled checks, P

or proofs of purchase for high

cost items such as major appli-

ances, if possible. e adjuster

will need the manufacturer’s

name; serial and model num-

bers; price; location and date of

purchase; and a description of the

items.

e claims adjuster’s job is to

collect information that is sent to

a central oﬃce for processing. e

insured (you) must ﬁle a Proof of

Loss form within 60 days of the

ﬂooding. In most cases, the adjuster

will ﬁle this form for you. e form

states the amount of your loss and

is signed by both the insured and

the adjuster. An important point to

remember is that you will not be re-

imbursed for expenses not authorized

by the adjuster.

You can ask the adjuster for an

advance or partial payment for your

building or contents loss, especially

if you need the money to make your

STEP

Check on Financial Assistance

Some Points on

Settling Claims

You are supposed to be reim-t

bursed fairly for your loss, but

you are not supposed to proﬁt

from a disaster.

You cannot collect more than the t

face value of your policy.

You cannot collect for uninsured t

items, such as landscaping.

Most adjusters receive a ﬂat sal-t

ary or compensation on a per

case basis. ere are no ﬁnancial

incentives that encourage the

adjuster to give you a small claim

payment.

You should get the adjuster’s t

name, company, and phone

number. He or she will probably

be from out of town.

In most cases, you will be reim-t

bursed for the actual cash value of

an item. at is the cost of replac-

ing the item minus depreciation.

If your policy is for 80 percent or

more of the replacement cost of

your home, you will be reim-

bursed for the replacement value

of damage to your hom e (no de-

preciation), less your deductible.

If you have problems with a ﬂood t

insurance claim, your policy

should list an oﬃce or telephone

number that you can contact or

you can call your insurance agent.

STEP

Check on Financial Assistance

home liveable. An advance will not

aﬀect the total amount of your pay-

ment. Later, when your total pay-

ment is determined, the amount you

were advanced will be subtracted

from it. You can also ask for a partial

payment if you disagree with the

amount of your loss on the Proof of

Loss form. Tell your adjuster if you

disagree and ask what steps can be

taken to straighten out your claim

payment.

e check to settle your ﬂood

insurance building claim will most

likely be in your name as well as

the name of your mortgage holder.

Some insurance companies may

send the payment to your mort-

gage holder. Talk to your mortgage

company ahead of time to make

sure there won’t be a delay in getting

your claim payment to you.

Disaster Assistance

If the ﬂooding was widespread

and caused a lot of damage, your

community might be eligible for

state or federal aid. To receive such

assistance, your community must

be declared a disaster area by your

governor, a federal agency director,

or the President. Local newspapers

and radio and TV stations will keep

you informed about disaster declara-

tions and where to get information

about any programs that might be

available to you.

If the ﬂood were severe enough

for your area to be declared a disas-

ter area by the federal government,

the Federal Emergency Management

Agency may open “teleregistration,”

which provides a toll-free number

for you to call to request assistance,

or FEMA may open one or more

Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs).

ese centers will give information

and take applications for assistance

and are usually located in a nearby

school or other public building.

ey will be open during the day

and early evening for several days to

give people time to come in. Check

local newspapers and radio and TV

reports for the locations and hours.

Federal disaster assistance may be

available in some cases to deal with

uninsured losses and needs. People

who are not insured should go to

a DRC ﬁrst. If possible, those with

insurance should ﬁle their Proof of

Loss form before visiting a DRC. If

there is a long wait, you can make

an appointment for another time.

Call 1-800-621-3362 or check

FEMA’s web site at http://www.

fema.gov.

When you go to a DRC or ap-

ply for disaster assistance, take the

items listed below: e ﬁrst person

you will talk to at a DRC will be a

receptionist. He or she will re-

view your damage and needs, and

identify which programs are most

appropriate for you. You will receive

a checklist of programs that can help

you. You can then talk to representa-

tives of these programs at the DRC.

ere are six types of federal or

state disaster assistance. Except as

noted, the following are available

only if the President issues a disaster

declaration for your area.

Disaster Housing Assistance

is program may provide a safe

place to live until repairs to dam-

aged homes are completed. Rent

DRC Visit Checklist

Before you go to a DRC or phone

the toll-free number, do your best to

get together the following informa-

tion and documents. If you don’t

have all of them, don’t worry; gather

what you have and start your disaster

assistance application process.

Your name, address, Social Security t

number, and identiﬁcation

Telephone numbers where you or a t

neighbor can be reached

Names and ages of all persons t

living in your home at the time of

the ﬂood

Insurance papers, including the t

“Proof of Loss” form

A summary of your damage and a t

rough idea of the cost of repair or

replacement (see Step 3)

Your income and the income of all t

other members of your household

Who you owe money to and how t

much you owe (mortgage, car loan,

etc.)

e total amount of your living t

expenses (rent, mortgage, food,

clothing, utilities, medical, and

transportation costs)

Directions to your property, start-t

ing from a major road, and a road

map with an X for your property

assistance or mobile homes may be

provided to those without insur-

ance. If repairs can be done quickly

to make your house liveable, the

program may provide funds to make

those repairs.

Disaster Loans

Home and business owners,

farmers, and others with real or

personal property losses may be

eligible for low interest loans. ese

loans are administered by the federal

government’s Small Business Ad-

ministration (SBA) and the Farmers

Home Administration (FmHA).

SBA and FmHA can provide loans

even if there is no Presidential disas-

ter declaration.

Eligibility and loan interest rates

vary according to the income and

ﬁnancial condition of the applicant.

Check your local newspaper or radio

or TV stations for the types of loans

available for replacing your personal

property and for repairing your

house.

Individual and Family Grants

is program may provide funds

for necessary expenses and serious

needs. Grants can cover immediate

expenses such as medical treatment,

transportation, home repair, replace-

ment of essential personal items, and

the cost of protecting your property

from the ﬂood. Applicants must not

have other ﬁnancial resources or be

able to qualify for an SBA disaster

loan.

Income Tax Deductions

If a federal disaster declaration

was made, you might quality to ﬁle

an amended tax return for the past

year and get a partial refund for your

uninsured casualty losses. Even if no

federal declaration is made, you can

often deduct your uninsured losses

on your next income tax return.

Ask the Internal Revenue Service

for Publication 547, Non-Business

Disasters, Casualties, and eft to get

more information. is document

can be downloaded at http://www.

irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p547.pdf.

Floodprooﬁng Assistance

Restoring a building to its pre-

ﬂood condition used to be the focus

of government disaster programs.

Now, some programs encourage

“ﬂoodprooﬁng,”—that is, modify-

ing the structure to help it with-

stand damage from the next ﬂood

(see Step 8). e SBA’s Disaster

Assistance Loan program can loan

additional money to cover certain

ﬂoodprooﬁng costs—call SBA at

1-800-827-5722. Other programs

will vary from state to state.

Counseling

A variety of programs give advice

on recovering from a disaster. ese

include help with unemployment,

food stamps, income taxes, insur-

ance claims, legal issues, veterans

beneﬁts, and crisis counseling. Crisis

counseling can be especially helpful

in coping with problems as you re-

cover from the ﬂood before they get

out of hand. Be sure to ask the Red

Cross about disaster mental health

information.

STEP

Check on Financial Assistance

STEP

Rebuild and Floodproof

STEP

Rebuild and Floodproof

on’t just build it back; build it

better. Now is the best possible

time to think about ﬂoodprooﬁng your

home because you can take deﬁnite

action to protect your property in the

future. Many ﬂoodprooﬁng measures

are quite simple, cost eﬀective, and

easy to put in place. By ﬂoodprooﬁng

as you rebuild, you can make the next

ﬂood easier on you and your wallet.

Floodprooﬁng

Floodprooﬁng means to remodel

or rebuild using materials and meth-

ods that will prevent or minimize

damage from future ﬂoods. Con-

sider the beneﬁts to ﬂoodprooﬁng

your home:

By protecting your home from t

damage, ﬂoodprooﬁng will save

you money, aggravation, and

stress during the next ﬂood.

Many ﬂoodprooﬁng measures are t

inexpensive.

Protecting your home from t

future ﬂood damage will increase

your property’s resale value.

Many ﬂoodprooﬁng measures t

can be easily worked in during

repair and rebuilding, resulting in

reduced costs.

Some ﬁnancial assistance pro-t

grams can help pay for ﬂood-

prooﬁng.

By preparing for the next ﬂood, t

you regain control over your

future—a guaranteed way to

reduce your level of anxiety and

stress. You don’t have to wait for

the government to act; you can

take care of protecting your home

when you are ready.

Floodprooﬁng won’t make it pos-t

sible for you to stay at home in a

ﬂood. But it is likely to make it

much quicker and easier for you

to clean up the next time.

Before you repair or rebuild, the

ﬁrst thing you should do is talk

to your town’s or city’s or county’s

building department. You will need

to ask the following questions:

What are the procedures for t

applying for a building permit?

What inspections will need to be

done?

Is your home substantially dam-t

aged? (Substantially damaged

means that the cost to restore

your home to its “before dam-

aged” condition would equal or

exceed 50 percent of the market

value your home had before the

damage occurred.) e ﬂood pro-

tection level is the level of ﬂood-

ing that you want your home

to be able to withstand without

damage to your home or your

belongings.

Start by asking your building de-

partment what ﬂood protection level

is required for your area. If a ﬂood

occurred that was higher than the

level they gave you, you should use

that ﬂood’s level plus 1 or 2 feet for

safety. e next ﬂood may be worse.

e next step is to decide if you

will be better oﬀ living in a diﬀerent

location, away from areas that ﬂood.

Ask your building oﬃcial about

government agencies that sometimes

purchase property for open space

or ﬂood protection in areas that

ﬂood—you may qualify.

If you are sure that you will repair

or rebuild your home in the ﬂood-

prone area, choose the ﬂoodprooﬁng

type that is best for your home or

property. Basic types of ﬂoodproof-

ing are described here, as well as

rebuilding tips to help you safely

repair and rebuild.

Five Types of Floodprooﬁng

1. Elevation

Most buildings can be raised so

that the lowest ﬂoor is above the

possible ﬂood level. If you had foun-

dation damage from the ﬂood, you

may need to raise the home to repair

it. It will be easier and cheaper to

elevate the home at that time.

ere should be many contractors

qualiﬁed to undertake elevating your

home above ﬂood level. Elevation

or relocation are the only reason-

able ways to protect your home if

it is subject to coastal ﬂooding or

to deep ﬂooding (more than 6 feet

deep.) Elevation and relocation are

also the most dependable measures

for ﬂoodprooﬁng your home.

An elevated building will need a

new foundation. e contractor will

jack up a structure and temporar-

ily set it on a temporary framework

called cribbing while the foundation

is built underneath. e founda-

tions of an elevated building may

be columns, piers, pilings, or raised

foundation walls. e elevated

building will usually look better and

have added protection if ﬁll dirt

is placed around the new founda-

tion. But check with your building

department before adding ﬁll dirt. It

may not be allowed in your com-

munity.

2. Relocation

Moving a building out of the

ﬂood-prone area is the surest way

to protect it from ﬂood damage.

Most homes and smaller commercial

buildings in good condition can be

moved, and it is usually no problem

to ﬁnd contractors experienced in

moving buildings. You will have to

purchase a new lot unless your pres-

ent lot is large and has a good spot

on higher ground for your home.

Relocation and elevation are the

only reasonable choices for protect-

ing a home that is subject to deep

ﬂooding (of more than 6 feet in

depth) or to coastal ﬂooding.

3. Floodwalls

Floodwalls, berms, and levees

all work to keep ﬂoodwaters from

reaching your home. ey are built

to at least the height of the ﬂood

protection level in your area. Flood-

walls are usually made of concrete.

STEP

Rebuild and Floodproof

STEP

Rebuild and Floodproof

Berms are simply small levees, usu-

ally built from ﬁll dirt.

Floodwalls, berms, and levees can

either surround the building (ring

levee) or connect to high ground.

ey can also be built up against a

building’s foundation walls. A sump

and pump will be needed to pump

out water that seeps under the wall.

Floodwalls, levees, and berms may

not be allowed in your area if they

could create a drainage problem on

your neighbor’s property. Check

with your building department

before you build.

Floodwalls of all types work best

in places where ﬂooding is less than

3 feet deep. If ﬂoodwaters near your

home develop swift currents, ﬂood-

walls, levees, and berms cannot be

used—they may wash away. Flood-

walls and berms may not be appro-

priate for homes with basements.

If there is not enough room for

a levee or berm, you may be able to

build a ﬂoodwall made of concrete,

which takes up less room. e walls

should contain internal reinforcing

bars to give added strength as well

as to help walls resist cracking and

settling over time. Walls must be

properly anchored to withstand the

same water pressure that can destroy

basement walls.

4. Dry Floodprooﬁng

Dry ﬂoodprooﬁng means sealing

a building to keep ﬂoodwaters out.

All areas below the ﬂood protection

level are made watertight. Walls are

coated with plastic or rubberized

sheeting or special waterprooﬁng

compounds. Openings such as

doors, windows, sewer lines, and

vents are closed permanently, or can

be temporarily sealed with remov-

able shields or sandbags.

Dry ﬂoodprooﬁng can only be

done if the walls of your home are

strong enough to hold back the

ﬂoodwaters without collapsing. For

this reason, dry ﬂoodprooﬁng is not

recommended if ﬂoodwaters are

expected to be more than 2 or 3 feet

above the ground level. Dry ﬂood-

prooﬁng is generally not appropri-

ate for homes with basements or

crawlspaces.

5. Wet Floodprooﬁng

Wet ﬂoodprooﬁng means modi-

fying a building so that ﬂoodwaters

will cause only minimal damage to

the building and contents. Building

materials below the ﬂood protection

level are replaced with materials that

are resistant to water. Floodwaters

are allowed into the building to

counteract the pressure of the water

on the outside of the walls.

You should furnish areas that

have been wet ﬂoodproofed with

light, portable furniture that can be

easily and quickly moved before a

ﬂood. Objects that are diﬃcult to

move, such as furnaces, water heat-

ers, appliances, and bookcases, are

either put on platforms or rein-

stalled upstairs.

Wet ﬂoodprooﬁng has one ad-

vantage over the other four ﬂood-

prooﬁng types: even the smallest

eﬀorts will signiﬁcantly reduce ﬂood

damage the next time. ousands of

dollars can be saved simply by mov-

ing furniture and electrical applianc-

es out of areas that will ﬂood. If you

decide not to use one of the other

four ﬂoodprooﬁng types, you should

use wet ﬂoodprooﬁng measures as

you repair and rebuild. e rebuild-

ing tips in this section give more wet

ﬂoodprooﬁng ideas.

Building Permits

One you’ve determined the

repairs and ﬂoodprooﬁng measures

you are going to take, local codes

generally require that you get a

building permit. Before you make

repairs or alterations to your home

or property, make sure your plans

are reviewed and approved by your

building department. You may also

need to get approval from your ho-

meowner’s association or mortgage

holder before you make repairs or

alterations to your home or prop-

erty.

If you are just replacing items

such as carpeting or wallboard, you

will probably not need a permit—

but you should check with your lo-

cal building department before you

proceed. You will usually have to

get a permit for electrical work and

repairs of structural damage, such as

broken walls.

Most local and state building

codes require that a building that is

substantially damaged be treated as

a new building. A new residential

building must be built so that its

lowest ﬂoor is at or above the ﬂood

protection level. In other words, if

your home meets the criteria de-

scribed above for “substantially dam-

aged,” you will have no choice but

to elevate or relocate your home in

order to meet local building codes.

Failure to follow the local build-

ing code can result in an order to stop

reconstruction, a ﬁne, imprisonment,

higher ﬂood insurance rates, denial of

ﬂood insurance, or all of the above.

Rebuilding Tips

Give your home plenty of time

to dry. Many problems result from

rebuilding after a ﬂood before

everything dries. If it takes a week

for the visible signs of moisture to

disappear, allow at least another

week for the parts you cannot see

to dry. Don’t try to force a swollen

door to close or wooden parts to

ﬁt. When completely dry, the wood

may regain its original shape.

STEP

Rebuild and Floodproof

STEP

Rebuild and Floodproof

ere are small, inexpensive

measures you can take to make your

recovery easier from future ﬂoods.

Utilities

Move the main breaker or fuse

box and the utility meters above

the ﬂood protection level for your

home. Make sure each circuit is

labeled so you know which circuits

control which outlets and ﬁxtures.

If the electrical code allows, raise the

electrical outlets and switches above

your ﬂood protection level.

If you are going to replace a

ﬂooded furnace, water heater, or

air conditioner, install the new

one on a higher ﬂoor. If your new

air conditioner or heat pump will

be outside, install it on a platform

above the ﬂood protection level. A

water heater can be put anywhere

near a hot water pipe. An updraft

furnace located in a basement can be

replaced with a downdraft furnace

on a ﬂoor above the ﬂood protection

level.

Where the ﬂood protection level

is not too high, a furnace, water

heater, or other heavy appliance

can also be raised on a platform

inside the home. Put the appliance

on concrete blocks or a wooden

platform supported by concrete

blocks. Make certain that appliances

such as washers and dryers are secure

and will not vibrate oﬀ the blocks or

platform during use.

You can protect the furnace,

water heater, washer, and dryer from

shallow ﬂooding with a low ﬂood-

wall built around the appliance. A

concrete or wooden wall 1 or 2 feet

high can stop low-level ﬂooding.

e wall should be waterproofed

with plastic sheeting or waterproof-

ing compounds that can be pur-

chased at hardware stores.

Walls

Wash and disinfect the studs and

sills if the wallboard and insulation

had to be removed. If you are going

to rebuild the walls, remember that

metal studs and sills are not dam-

aged by water as much as wooden

studs.

Pressure-treated wood will resist

mildew and wood eating insects

outdoors, but it may swell as much

as untreated wood when soaked.

Some kinds of pressure treated wood

should not be used inside the home,

where they will come into contact

with food or skin. (It depends on

which chemicals were used to treat

them.) Ask your lumber company to

help you choose the right products

for jobs you will do. ey should

also have consumer information

sheets that give speciﬁc precautions

for some products. Ask for them.

Wallboard

ink horizontal rather than

vertical. Install the wallboard panels

sideways so they are only 4 feet

high. If the next ﬂood is less than 4

feet deep, you only have to replace

half the wall.

Products That Resist

Water Damage

Concrete, concrete block, or t

glazed brick

Clay, concrete, or ceramic tilet

Galvanized or stainless steel nails, t

hurricane clips, and connectors

(in areas subject to saltwater

ﬂooding)

Indoor-outdoor carpeting with t

synthetic backing (do not fasten

down)

Terrazzo, rubber, or vinyl ﬂoor t

covering with waterproof adhe-

sives

Metal doors and window framest

Polyester-epoxy paint (do not use t

mildew-resistant paint indoors,

especially on cribs, playpens, or

toys because it contains an ingre-

dient that is toxic)

Stone, slate, or cast stone (with t

waterproof mortar)

Foam board insulationt

Water-resistant gluet

is drawing shows another sug-

gestion. Leave the wall open 1 inch

above the sill. e baseboard will

hide this gap. When you remove

the baseboard after the next ﬂood,

the wall cavity will drain freely and

air will circulate better. Check your

local codes, however. If a ﬁrewall is

required, the building code may not

allow the gap.

“Greenboard” or other moisture-

resistant wallboard is made for bath-

rooms and other damp areas, such

as basements. It may be more sturdy

when wet than regular wallboard.

However, if soaked with ﬂoodwa-

ters, it will present the same health

hazards as regular wallboard and

should be replaced.

Floors

Some ﬂoors are made with

particle board or plywood, materi-

als that fall apart when wet for long.

Floor joists and some wood ﬂoors

will regain their shapes if allowed to

dry naturally.

After re-nailing, a wooden ﬂoor

may need a little sanding to be

smooth, or you can place a new un-

derlayment for a new ﬂoor over it.

Use screws or screw nails on ﬂoors

and stairs to minimize warping. Do

not lay new ﬂooring or carpet until

the subﬂooring is completely dry.

Painting

Do not paint until the surface is

completely dry. If the surface still

contains moisture, the paint will

peel. ings look dry on the sur-

face long before they are dry on the

inside, and this can lead to costly

mistakes. It may take several weeks

for the surface to dry out enough.

To get an idea if a wall or ﬂoor

is dry enough to paint, dry an area

approximately 18 inches square

with a blow dryer. (When checking

a wall, select an area near the ﬂoor

where it will be the most damp.)

Cover the area with a piece of clear

plastic sheeting. Carefully seal all the

edges with tape. Check the plastic

24 hours later. If there are beads of

condensation on the side of the plas-

tic that faces the wall or the ﬂoor, it’s

still too damp to paint.

You can cover concrete surfaces

with a clear coating or penetrat-

ing sealer to make cleanup easier

next time. Don’t paint over water

stains—they will bleed through sev-

eral coats of paint. Coat the stained

area with shellac or a commercial

stain killer before painting.

If you are going to dry ﬂoodproof

your walls, don’t rely on waterproof-

ing paints; they cannot keep ﬂood-

waters out. Such paints may protect

a deck from rain, but they cannot

protect walls and ﬂoors against the

pressure of standing water. (ick

plastic or rubberized sheeting pro-

vides the most secure waterprooﬁng

seal.)

STEP

Rebuild and Floodproof

STEP

Rebuild and Floodproof

Windows

If you live near the coast, your

home is likely to suﬀer damage from

the high winds and ﬂoodwaters of

a hurricane or nor’easter. Boarding

up all your windows and doors is

the best way to protect them from

breaking and letting in the heavy

rains that a coastal storm brings.

Taping windows will not prevent

them from breaking during a storm.

Cut plywood to ﬁt each of your

windows and doors well before a

storm threatens. Label each piece so

you’ll know which window or door

it covers. Store the plywood with

the nails or other fasteners you will

need to attach them. at way, you

will be able to quickly put up the

plywood when a storm threatens.

Contractors

You may need a contractor to

help you rebuild, especially to han-

dle the diﬃcult jobs such as founda-

tion repair and electrical work. If

you have been satisﬁed with work

done by licensed local contractors,

try them ﬁrst. If they cannot help

you, ask them for recommendations.

If you must hire a contractor you

do not know, talk to several con-

tractors before you sign anything.

Reputable contractors would agree

that you should take the following

steps:

Check on the ﬁrm’s reputation. P

e local Better Business Bureau,

home builders association, or

building trade councils are excel-

lent sources. Ask if the ﬁrm has

had unanswered complaints ﬁled

against it.

Ask for proof of insurance. P Be

sure the contractor has liability,

disability, and worker’s compen-

sation insurance. If the contractor

is not insured, you may be liable

for accidents on your property.

Ask for references. P Contrac-

tors should be willing to provide

names of previous customers.

Call some of the customers and

ask if they would hire the con-

tractor again.

Ask for a written estimate. P

Check it to make sure it in-

cludes everything you expect the

contractor to do. Some contrac-

tors charge a fee for an estimate,

which is understandable because

they have plenty of work to do

after a ﬂood.

Ask for a contract. P e contract

should be complete and clearly

state all the work, the costs, and

the payment schedule. Never

sign a blank contract or one with

blank spaces. If a lot of money is

involved, it may be worth your

while to have an attorney look at

the contract before you sign it.

Ask for any guarantees in writ- P

ing. If the contractor provides

guarantees, they should be

written into the contract, clearly

stating what is guaranteed, who

is responsible for the guarantee

(the dealer, the contractor, or the

manufacturer), and how long the

guarantee is valid.

Obtain a copy of the ﬁnal P

signed contract. Once signed,

it is binding on both you and

the contractor.

Products to Avoid

Avoid using or storing in areas likely

to ﬂood:

Fiberglass or cellulose insulationt

Cork, corkboardt

Gasoline, weed killer, pesticide, lye, t

drain cleaner, swimming pool and

other chemicals

Linoleumt

Particle board, chipboard, ﬁber-t

board, paperboard, strawboard,

wood-grain paneling

Wallboard, drywall, gypsumt

Wallpapert

Don’t sign oﬀ before the job is P

ﬁnished. Don’t sign completion

papers or make the ﬁnal payment

until the work is completed to

your satisfaction. A reputable

contractor will not threaten you

or pressure you to sign if the job

is not properly ﬁnished.

Areas recuperating from ﬂoods

can be prime targets for less than

honest business activities. Build-

ing codes often require that work

be done only by licensed contrac-

tors. Some building departments

and trade associations keep lists of

contractors who work in the com-

munity.

Here are some points to remem-

ber:

Be cautious when contractors you t

don’t know oﬀer “special deals”

after a disaster or want to use

your home as a “model home.”

Ask for complete ﬁnancial details t

in writing and for an explanation

of any diﬀerences from regular

prices. Sales are worthwhile and

they do exist, but be sure you are

getting the services and products

for which you are paying.

Do not sign a contract when a t

salesperson has pressured you.

Federal law requires a 3-day

“cooling oﬀ ” period for unsolic-

ited door-to-door sales of more

than $25. If you want to cancel

such a contract within 3 busi-

ness days of signing it, send your

cancellation by registered mail.

Other types of sales may have

contracts with diﬀerent cancella-

tion clauses.

Beware if you are asked to pay t

cash on the spot instead of a

check made out to the contract-

ing company. A reasonable down

payment is up to 30 percent of

the total cost of the project.

Make sure your contractor calls t

you or a qualiﬁed observer to

inspect work before it is covered

over. Shoddy work on sewers or

basement walls will be hidden

from view, and you won’t know if

there is a problem until the next

ﬂood. Most building departments

will want to inspect electrical and

plumbing lines before the walls

are covered with wallboard or

paneling.

If you are a victim of fraud or

have problems with a less than repu-

table contractor, the state or local

consumer protection oﬃce or public

attorney should be able to tell you

what to do.

STEP

Rebuild and Floodproof

STEP

Prepare for the Next Flood

STEP

Prepare for the Next Flood

e prepared is more than just a

Scout motto. Your home will

very likely be ﬂooded again someday.

Preparing for the next ﬂood will

protect you and your family, your

property, your ﬁnances, and your peace

of mind. In addition to the ﬂoodproof-

ing measures discussed in the previous

step, you should buy ﬂood insurance,

develop a ﬂood response plan, and help

your community implement a ﬂood

protection program.

Flood Insurance

Even if you have ﬂoodproofed

your home, you still need insurance

to protect you from the unexpected

events such as a ﬂood that rises

higher than your ﬂood protection

level. If you have insurance, ﬁnd out

whether you have the right kinds

of coverage, and whether you have

adequate coverage. Homeowners’

policies do not cover damage caused

by ﬂoods, so you will probably need

to purchase a separate policy under

the National Flood Insurance Pro-

gram (NFIP).

An NFIP policy covers:

Damage to your home or con-t

tents caused by a general condi-

tion of surface water ﬂooding (up

to the amount of your coverage)

Costs for protecting your proper-t

ty from ﬂood damage, including

moving and storing your con-

tents for up to 45 days (up to the

amount of the deductible)

Expenses for removing debris left t

by the ﬂood

An NFIP policy does not cover:

Damage caused by high ground t

water, sewer backup, subsurface

ﬂows, or local drainage problems

that are not considered a “general

condition of ﬂooding”

Property located outside an insur-t

able building, including fences,

outdoor swimming pools, drive-

ways, docks, ﬂoodwalls, crops in

the ﬁeld, and landscaping

Vehicles, trailers on wheels, and t

boats

Paneling, carpeting, furniture, t

and contents in the ﬁnished por-

tion of a basement or underneath

an elevated building

Animalst

Money, valuable papers, and land t

values

Living expenses and lost incomet

e NFIP provides federally-

backed insurance coverage for

any building in a community that

is participating in the program.

Almost every type of walled and

roofed building can be insured. It

does not matter whether the build-

ing is in or out of the ﬂoodplain. A

mobile (manufactured) home aﬃxed

to a permanent site and properly

anchored can also be insured. You

can get coverage on the building as

well as for contents.

Building coverage. Insurance

can be purchased for the walls,

ﬂoors, insulation, wall to wall

carpeting, furnace, and other items

permanently attached to the

structure. (Permanent items include

anything that would not fall out if

you turned your home upside down;

i.e., items that stay with the building

when it is sold.) Up to 10 percent of

the policy value for building cover-

age may apply to a detached garage

or carport on the same lot.

If you buy insurance for 80

percent or more of the replace-

ment value of your home, you will

be reimbursed for the replacement

value of damage to your home—

no depreciation will apply. If your

coverage is for less than 80 percent,

you will be reimbursed for the actual

cash value of the damage—replace-

ment value minus depreciation.

Contents coverage. Contents

coverage insures your personal

property. Renters as well as owners

may purchase contents coverage.

Although you can get contents

coverage without having a building

coverage policy, those contents must

be located in a building that can be

insured under the NFIP. Contents

coverage will pay some costs to

move and store contents in a safe

place when a ﬂood threatens.

Basements. Building coverage

is recommended to cover the walls,

ﬂoor, furnace, and other struc-

tural components of a basement.

However, the NFIP does not cover

ﬁnished portions of a basement

(carpets, wallboard) or its contents.

Damage to the basement foundation

is a major problem during ﬂoods, so

this coverage can be very important

even though it does not cover the

ﬁnished portions (carpets, wallpa-

per) of basements. Some private

companies sell coverage for water

damage caused by sewer backup or

sump pump failure—items that are

not covered by the NFIP.

NFIP ﬂood insurance is sold

through private insurance agents

and companies. All companies oﬀer

identical coverage and rates.

Newer or substantially improved

homes are charged according to

their elevation in relation to the

expected ﬂood level. Older homes,

which are “grandfathered” in,

qualify for a ﬂat, subsidized rate.

Homes outside ﬂoodplains that are

identiﬁed on Flood Insurance Rate

Maps (FIRMs) pay lower rates. You

can check your property’s location

on a FIRM at your building depart-

ment or an insurance agent’s oﬃce.

A few private insurance compa-

nies sell their own ﬂood insurance

policies, although the coverage and

rates are diﬀerent from the NFIP’s.

Some mobile home insurance covers

ﬂood losses. Unlike the NFIP, pri-

vate insurance will vary from com-

pany to company, so check several

for their coverage and rates.

If you are located in a ﬂoodplain

shown on a FIRM, you must buy

ﬂood insurance coverage as a condi-

tion of having a mortgage or home

improvement loan from a federally

regulated lender or as a condition

for getting federal disaster assistance.

In some cases, private insurance

will suﬃce for this requirement,

but generally the lender or disaster

assistance agency will ask to see an

NFIP policy.

STEP

Prepare for the Next Flood

STEP

Prepare for the Next Flood

Flood Response Plan

Preparing a ﬂood response plan

will help you think through all the

details that will demand attention as

the ﬂoodwaters approach. is is a

project for the whole family. As you

write down the plan, you can make

sure everyone understands it. And

having the plan in writing will help

you remember what to do when

everyone is in a hurry and nervous

because a ﬂood is coming.

e next ﬂood might be worse

than the last one. Talk to your

building oﬃcial or city or county

engineer about that possibility. See

Step 8 for information on the ﬂood

protection level in your area to use

as you prepare your ﬂood response

plan.

Check with your local emergency

manager or Red Cross chapter for

the oﬃcial warning and evacuation

procedures. Find out how much

warning time you will have to leave

your home before the ﬂood reaches

you. Identify a friend, relative, or

motel where you can go when you

are asked to evacuate. Test drive

your evacuation route to be certain

it will be passable when ﬂooding is

likely. Be prepared to evacuate when

told to do so or if you see ﬂood-

waters rising. You may hear ﬂood

warning and evacuation information

on your local radio and TV stations.

Make a record of all your per-

sonal property. Go through your

home room by room recording

household inventories and taking

photographs or videos. Inventory

forms are available from most insur-

ance companies, or you can use

the format shown in Step 3. Keep

photocopies of inventory records,

insurance policies, deeds, and other

valuable papers at a diﬀerent loca-

tion, someplace outside of the ﬂood-

prone area.

If ﬂooding in your area is from

sewer backup or basements, your

own water alarm can give you pre-

cious lead time before your belong-

ings are damaged by ﬂoodwaters.

A water alarm is similar to a smoke

alarm; it beeps when water touches

it. Water alarms cost $10 to $20 and

are available at hardware stores.

Develop a ﬂood response plan

based on the ﬂood protection level,

local warning procedures, and the

estimated time you will have to re-

spond. In ﬂash ﬂood areas, you may

only have enough time to evacuate.

But if you live in areas in the path

of a hurricane or on large rivers, you

may have 12-24 hours of warning

time.

Flash Floods

If you live in a mountainous area,

or if your ﬂooding comes from a

small stream or ditch, your home

may be subject to ﬂash ﬂooding.

Flash ﬂoods can occur before the

local emergency managers have time

to issue a warning. In these cases,

the National Weather Service may

issue a ﬂash ﬂood watch advising

people that conditions are favorable

for a ﬂash ﬂood. You may not be no-

tiﬁed of a ﬂash ﬂood warning before

ﬂooding actually begins.

Hurricanes

If you live near the coast, you will

be asked to evacuate when a

Don’t Wait

Buy ﬂood insurance protection

before the next ﬂood is threatening.

ere is a 30-day waiting period be-

fore NFIP ﬂood coverage takes eﬀect.

Contact your insurance agent for

information on rates and coverage.

Flood Watch, Flood

Warning

Floods can take several hours to days

to develop.

A t ﬂood watch means a ﬂood is pos-

sible in your area.

A t ﬂood warning means ﬂooding

is already occurring or will occur

soon in your area.

hurricane threatens your commu-

nity. It is important to evacuate

when you are asked to. Prepare your

ﬂood response plan to take into

account all of the time that you will

need to protect your home before

you evacuate. You will need time to

board your windows and to clear

your yard so that your belongings

will not blow or ﬂoat away. You may

also want to take time to move your

belongings above the ﬂood protec-

tion level (see Step 8).

Developing a Checklist

Your ﬂood response plan should

be a checklist of steps to take before

ﬂoodwaters reach your home. e

following are examples of things to

include:

Listen to local radio or TV sta- P

tions for ﬂood information and

evacuation instructions.

Read the ﬂood safety precautions P

on the inside front cover of this

document.

Get in the habit of keeping a full P

tank of gas in your car, especially

at times of the year when ﬂood-

ing can be expected in your area.

Pack the car with supplies you P

need while away from home.

Put supplies needed for cleanup P

and recovery in a safe place. If

your ﬂood protection level is over

your top ﬂoor, you may have to

store supplies at a friend’s home

away from the ﬂood-prone area

or take them with you in your

car.

Take pets to a kennel or a friend’s P

place on high ground. Health

codes do not allow animals in

public shelters.

If you have enough warning P

time, move your contents above

the ﬂood protection level or to

another safe place. Some of the

cost of doing this can be covered

under an NFIP ﬂood insurance

policy.

Install ﬂood shields and other P

ﬂoodprooﬁng measures you may

have prepared.

In hurricane-prone areas, protect P

against wind damage. Install hur-

ricane shutters or plywood covers

over windows and doors, take

down TV antennas, and securely

tie down boats, garbage cans, and

everything else left outdoors.

Tape plastic around the cap to P

your well. is will prevent most,

but not all, ﬂoodwater from en-

tering your water supply. You will

still have to disinfect your water,

as explained in Step 5.

Turn oﬀ the electricity, gas, oil, P

and water.

Lock your home. P

Follow your designated evacua- P

tion route to a place of shelter.

If You Are Asked to Evacuate

Take essential disaster supplies

with you. See ARC 4463 on page

46.

Community Activities

Your neighborhood or commu-

nity can take steps to reduce ﬂood

losses in the future. Recent ﬂooding

may prompt local governments to

start a ﬂood planning eﬀort that en-

courages citizens to participate. If no

eﬀort is underway, encourage your

community leaders to start a ﬂood

protection program.

STEP

Prepare for the Next Flood

Flash Flood Watch

If it is raining a lot, or if you are in

mountainous areas, it’s a good idea

to keep listening to local radio or

TV stations (not stations in loca-

tions away from where you are). If

you hear a ﬂash ﬂood watch for your

area, it’s a good idea to stay on high

ground.

If you hear a ﬂash ﬂood warning,

climb to higher ground immediately.

Leave your car, camping gear, or

other belongings where they are. You

may have only minutes to escape.

Flash ﬂoods can happen without

warning. If you hear a rumbling

sound, if animals are running away

from where you are, or if you feel

the ground shaking, climb to higher

ground immediately.

STEP

Prepare for the Next Flood

ere are many ways to reduce

ﬂood damage. a community ﬂood

protection program should consider

a variety of activities. e obvious

solution often seems to be “ﬁxing”

the shoreline or river using ﬂood

control projects such as dredging or

seawalls. Unfortunately, these activi-

ties may not be eﬀective, feasible, or

aﬀordable without state or federal

aid. Because ﬂood control projects

require so much planning, time,

and money, communities should

also consider and implement other

approaches.

Keeping the ditches and drain-

ageways open is very important.

Trash, construction materials, shop-

ping carts, and even grass clippings

dumped in a ditch can clog bridges

and culverts, and add to water pol-

lution.

Neighborhood eﬀorts to keep the

ditches clean and to report dump-

ers can make a big diﬀerence in

the amount of ﬂooding, especially

during smaller storms. Report illegal

ﬂoodplain construction activities

(i.e., those without a permit posted)

to the building department.

You can work with your neigh-

bors to monitor stream levels or

rain gauges to give the community

advance warning. It may also be

possible to monitor common debris

catching sites, such as bridges, and

keep the openings clear.

Sandbagging

Sandbagging can be very expen-

sive. If your community wants to

establish a plan for sandbagging, you

will have to buy sandbags before a

ﬂood to be sure you have them on

hand. Get burlap or plastic sand-

bags. Other kinds of bags simply

won’t hold up. Burlap or plastic bags

cost 25 to 50 cents each. Sand and

plastic sheeting must also be stock-

piled.

Sandbagging can also be very

time consuming. It takes two people

approximately 1 hour to ﬁll and

place 100 sandbags, giving you a

wall 1 foot high and 20 feet long. If

you skimp on the bags, you risk put-

ting up a wall that will be knocked

over.

When a ﬂood is imminent,

everyone wants to sandbag, usually

because they don’t know what else

to do. While it does have a thera-

peutic eﬀect, sandbagging should be

considered only as part of an overall

ﬂood response plan, or as a last

resort for individuals.

A good plan will help use your

limited time and resources most

eﬃciently. For example, a ﬂood re-

sponse plan might call for sandbags

to ﬁll in gaps in a ﬂoodwall.

Sandbagging is supposed to keep

water away from vulnerable ﬂood-

prone properties. Floodprooﬁng

measures and moving contents out

of the way are much more secure

methods to accomplish the same

thing. erefore, before you con-

sider sandbagging for your property,

consider the ﬂood protection alter-

natives discussed in Step 8. ey are

more eﬀective and more dependable

ways to protect a home from

ﬂooding.

Sources of Information

e following sources can provide

advice or assistance on ﬂood re-

covery. Some may be able to speak

to neighborhood groups or help

in developing a community ﬂood

protection program.

Flood Preparedness and Safety

e American Red Cross and

local emergency managers conduct

sessions to increase public aware-

ness and to educate the community

in ways to prevent, prepare for,

and cope with emergencies. Local

emergency managers also sponsor

public meetings on damage reduc-

tion, safety, response planning, how

to handle stress, and other ﬂood-