Quote:
Originally Posted by housebg
I need some advice what do I do next or where do I start. The water is still coming up .Hope full to stop today whole area is flooded
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First thing in any flooding situation is, get out while the getting is good. Don't stick around to try to save anything other than people and pets. Drowning is the most immediate threat, and you will never know how high the water will get until it's all over. Of course, that bit of advice comes too late this time, but I offer it for other readers who may be faced with flooding situations in the future. Side note, for Hurricane Isaac, an Airstreamer I know towed his Airstream to safety, and then went back home to try to save their possessions by moving them all up into the attic. They ended up being rescued off their roof by boat at the last minute before the roof went underwater, and all their stuff was ruined anyway. They should have stayed with the Airstream. And in fact, their Airstream— which was perfectly safe where they moved it— was their full-time home for over a year until they rebuilt their house. But because they had gone back home, they no longer had a tow vehicle because it was flooded as well. But anyway…
Downed power lines are also a problem after a flood event. You can't know which ones are hot and which ones are dead, and even ones that are
supposed to be dead can be energized by some fool who hooks up a generator to his home without pulling the main breaker at the electric meter and back-feeds power into the electric grid.
Floodwater displaces wild critters that will seek out any refuge they can find, and in a battle between them and you, they'll win. So wait until the floodwaters are gone before returning home, and be wary of any wild animals who might have sought refuge at your place. For instance, after Hurricane Audrey, an alligator ended up taking refuge in a high school gymnasium in Lake Charles. But there are also snakes, raccoons, and other wildlife that already lives on the fringes of civilization that can make it unsafe to poke around in whatever debris has accumulated.
Floodwater also carries all kinds of contaminants and diseases, partly because they overflow sewage and septic systems. When you return, avoid standing water unless you have waterproof boots that are higher than the water.
When it is safe to go back home, the first step is to document all the damage, before you do
anything else. Without photographs and lists of damages, it will be hard to get your insurance to pay off. In fact, the best time to photograph and document your stuff is when you first buy it, build it, or make it. That way, after a flood event you will have before-
and-after pictures to show that the stuff really was damaged. Of course, you don't want to lose the "before" pictures, so keeping them off-site, such as a safe deposit box, is a good idea.
Any vehicle that was flooded shouldn't even be started. Get it towed to a mechanic or dealer who knows how to properly de-water the vehicle. Water in the crankcase, intake manifold, transmission, differential, etc. will mean that trying to start— or worse, drive— the vehicle will damage it even worse than the flooding did.
I'm sure other flood survivors have other tips, but this should be a good start.
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