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Even if you don’t live by the water, there’s always a risk your house could flood.
Bad rainstorms, pipes bursting, toilets overflowing, or broken washing machines can all lead to flooding inside homes, so it’s important to be prepared.
Nobody wants to deal with a flooded home, but there are some things you can do right away to keep yourself safe and ensure you get help from your insurance provider.
From figuring out the source of the flood to saving items in the home, here’s what you should do if your house floods.
If you suspect your house is flooded because of a burst pipe or a faulty toilet, it’s important to find the source of the water and either turn it off or seal it up.
The simplest way to do that is to just turn off the main water valve to the house. Obviously, if your home has flooded due to a rainstorm or flooding outside the house, there’s not much you can do to stop it.
The next step is to turn off the electricity. Since there is water in your home, this will prevent you from accidentally getting electrocuted. However, if you need to walk through water to get to your fuse box, call an electrician. It’s not worth the risk!
I don’t have to tell you this, but flood water can often be contaminated with harmful bacteria. Make sure to put on protective gloves, rain boots, and even a mask.
You’ll more than likely want to file an insurance claim, so it’s important you have video evidence of the damage.
Take a quick video of the flooded area and document the home’s condition. Take pictures of areas that are particularly damaged and notes on what will need to be replaced.
Once you’ve documented what you need to document, get out of the house. Find a dry, safe space (whether that’s in the backyard, at a neighbor’s house, or in your car) and wait there until help has arrived.
Give your insurance provider a call as soon as it’s safe for you to do so. Let them know what’s happened and ask them what you need to do to move forward. They may make wait to start the cleanup process until they can get an adjuster to visit your home.
