WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF A FLOOD
Reprinted from GOLDEN STATE FLOODLIGHT,
California Floodplain Management Newsletter,
Volume 2, No. 4, November 1987.
Well Before the Flood -- INSURE!
Loses due to flooding are not covered under most
homeowners insurance policies, but
homes and their contents can be
protected through the National Flood Insurance
Program (NFIP)
if your community is a participant in the program. Flood insurance
is available in participating
communities on almost any enclosed building- including homes,
condominiums, manufactured homes on
foundations, businesses and farms. The contents
of insurable buildings, including
rental units, are also insurable.
Compile and maintain a room-by-room inventory of the insured contents-
including,
when possible, receipts or proofs of
purchase (especially for major appliances) noting the
manufacturer's name, serial number,
model number, price, date and place of purchase.
Immediately Before the Flood -- PREPARE!
If, and ONLY if time permits, turn off all utilities at the main power
switch and
close the main gas valve if
evacuation appears necessary. Do not touch any electrical
equipment unless it is in
a dry area and you are standing on a piece of dry wood while
wearing rubber gloves and
rubber-soled boots or shoes. Move valuable papers, furs,
jewelry, clothing, and other contents
to upper floors or higher elevations. Fill bathtubs,
sinks and jugs with clean water
in case regular supplies are contaminated. These
containers can be sanitized first by
rinsing with bleach. Board up windows or protect them
with storm shutters or tape to
prevent flying glass. Bring outdoor possessions inside the
house or tie them down securely-
this includes lawn furniture, garbage cans, tools, signs,
and other moveable objects that might
be swept away or hurled about.
When the Flood Comes -- EVACUATE!
Since floodwaters can rise very rapidly, be prepared to evacuate before the
water level
reaches your property. Keep
battery-powered radios tuned to a local station, and
follow all emergency
instructions. If you are caught in the house by suddenly rising waters,
move to an upper floor if
possible or to the roof if necessary. Take warm clothing, a
flashlight and portable radio with
you. Then wait for help- don't try to swim to safety.
Rescue teams will be looking for you.
When outside the house, remember floods are deceptive. Try to avoid
flooded areas
and don't attempt to walk through
floodwaters that are more than knee deep.
If it is safe to evacuate by car, stock the car with nonperishable foods
(like canned
goods), a plastic container of water,
blankets, first aid kit, flashlights, dry clothing and any
special medications needed by members
of your family or group. Keep the gas tank at
least half full since gasoline
pumps will not be working if the electricity has been cut off.
Do not drive where water is over
the road -- parts of the road may already be washed
out. If your car stalls in
the flooded area, abandon it as soon as possible. Floodwaters
can rise rapidly and sweep a car (and
its occupants) away. Many deaths have resulted
from attempts to move stalled
vehicles.
After the Flood -- CLEAN UP!
If your home, apartment or business has suffered flood damage, immediately call
the
agent or broker who handles your
flood insurance policy; the agent will submit a Notice of
Loss Form to the National Flood
Insurance Program. An adjuster will be assigned to
inspect your property as soon as
possible. Be sure to take pictures of the damage
done to your building and its
contents, before you start to clean up.
Check buildings for structural damage prior to entering -- make sure they
are not
in danger of collapsing. Turn
off any outside gas lines at the meter or tank if you
didn't have time to before the flood
and let the building air for several minutes to remove
foul odors or escaping gas.
Upon entering the building, do not use open flame as a source
of light since gas may still be
trapped inside - a nonmetallic, fully sealed flashlight is ideal.
Watch for electrical shorts or
live wires before making certain that the main power
switch is turned off. Do not
turn on any lights or appliances until an electrician has
checked the system for short
circuits. Cover broken windows and holes in the roof or
walls to prevent further weather
damage. The expense of these temporary repairs is
usually covered under your flood
insurance policy (subject to the policy deductible). It is
important, therefore, to save
receipts.
Proceed with immediate cleanup measures to prevent any health hazards.
Perishable
items which pose a health problem
should be listed and photographed before discarding.
Throw out fresh food and
previously opened medicines that have come in contact
with floodwaters. Until
the public water system is declared safe, water should be boiled
vigorously for ten minutes before
it is used for drinking or food preparation. The flat taste
can be removed by pouring the water
from one container to another by adding a pinch of
salt. Another method of
disinfecting drinking water is to mix 1/2 teaspoon of liquid
commercial laundry bleach with 2 -
1/2 gallons of water- let stand for five minutes before
using. If no other source is
available, water may be obtained by draining a hot water tank
or my melting ice cubes.
Refrigerators, stoves and other hard goods should be hosed off and kept
for the
adjuster's inspection. A good
deodorizer when cleaning major kitchen appliances is to add
one teaspoon of baking soda to a
quart of water. Any partially damaged items should be
dried and aired- the adjuster will
make recommendations as to their repair or disposal.
Take all wooden furniture outdoors
but keep it out of direct sunlight to prevent
warping -- a garage or carport is
a good place for drying. Remove drawers and other
moving parts as soon as possible, but
do not pry open swollen drawers from the front -
remove the backing and push the
drawers out.
Shovel out mud while it is still moist to give walls and floors a chance
to dry. Once
plastered walls have dried, brush off
loose dirt. Wash with mild soap solution and rinse with
clean water; always start at the
bottom and work up - ceilings are done last! Special
attention should be paid to
cleaning out heating and plumbing systems.
Mildew can be removed from dry wood with a solution of 4 to 6 tablespoons of
trisodium phosphate (TSP), 1 cup
liquid chlorine bleach, and 1 gallon of water. Clean
metal at once then wipe with a
cloth. A light coat of oil will prevent iron from rusting.
Scour all utensils, and if necessary,
use fine steel wool on unpolished surfaces. Aluminum
may be brightened by scrubbing with a
solution of vinegar, cream of tartar, and hot water.
Quickly separate all laundry items to avoid running colors. Clothing
and household
fabrics should be allowed to dry
slowly, away from direct heat, before brushing off loose
dirt. If you cannot get to a
professional cleaner, rinse the items in lukewarm water to
remove lodged soil; then wash with
mild detergent; rinse and dry in sunlight.
Flooded
basements should be drained and cleaned as soon as possible. However,
structural damage can occur by
pumping out the water too quickly. After the floodwaters
around your property have subsided,
begin draining the basement in stages, about 1/3 of the
water volume each day.
After the Flood -- PROCESSING YOUR CLAIM!
To reiterate, first call your local insurance agent to report the flood damage
so that the
Notice of Loss Form can be submitted
to the NFIP and an adjuster can be assigned to
assist you. Then photograph the
premises both the outside to show the flooding and the
damage and the inside to show the
height of the floodwaters and the damaged property.
Next, separate the damaged from the undamaged personal property and put it in
the best
possible order for the adjuster's
examination. If reasonably possible, protect the structure
and contents from further
damage. Damaged property which presents a health hazard or
which may hamper local clean-up
operations should be disposed of in accordance with
instructions from local
authorities. Be sure to adequately describe discarded items so that
when the adjuster examines your
losses and your records, these articles are included in the
documentation. When the
adjuster visits your property, let him/her know if you need an
advance or partial payment of
loss. Good records can assist the NFIP in giving you an
advanced payment. Good records
also speed up settlement of your claim. Use your
inventory to work with the adjuster
in presenting your claim.
Be
sure to submit your signed and sworn Proof of Loss Form to the NFIP
within 60 days after the date of
loss!
