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Circulate air through your home by opening windows.
Patch holes
in the roof, walls or windows with boards, tarps or plastic sheeting.
Repair
sagging floors or roof sections with 4 x 4s to brace weak areas.
Remove debris
such as tree limbs or other trash.
Check
for broken or leaking water pipes. Do not drink, clean dishes,
wash clothes or cook with tap water until it has been declared
safe.
Drain
water in your basement slowly and carefully. Pump 2 to 3 feet
of water out and wait overnight. If the water level has risen,
it is too early to drain your basement. Draining basements too
early may result in serious structural damage.
Shovel
out as much mud as possible.
Hose the
house down, inside and out.
Hose heating and air conditioning ducts which may have
mud in them to rid them of health hazards.
Hose out
light sockets and electrical boxes. First, make sure the electricity
is off.
Wash duct
work with a disinfectant or sanitizer, such as the quaternary,
phenolic or pine oil-based cleaners.
Keep records
of damage to the building, damage to the contents, receipts for
cleanup and restoration expenses, such as material, labor and
equipment rental, and receipts for flood-related expenses such
as motel bills.
Replace
wallboard which can act like a sponge and soak up health hazards
in water.
Allow wood
to dry naturally. It will usually regain its original shape.
Collect
cleaning supplies such as brooms, mops, brushes, sponges,
buckets, hoses, rubber gloves, rags, cleaning products, disinfectants,
lubricating oil, trash bags and a hair dryer.
Clean and disinfect everything in your house, including
the walls, floors, closets, shelves, contents-every flooded part
of your house.
What to
use to clean, disinfect, remove mildew and bleach:
Clean:
- 1st choice-Nonsudsing
household cleaners
- 2nd choice-Laundry
soap or detergent
Disinfect:
- 1st choice-Household
disinfectants or sanitizers, such as the quaternary, phenolic
or pine oil disinfectants.
- 2nd choice-1/4
cup (2 ounces) of liquid chlorine bleach mixed in 1 gallon
of water. (See below.)
Remove Mildew:
- 1st choice-Household
mildew removers or mildewcides.
- 2nd
choice-Washing soda or trisodium phosphate (available at grocery
or paint stores). Use 5 tablespoons for each gallon of water.
- 3rd choice-1/4
cup (2 ounces) of laundry leach mixed in 1 gallon of water.
(See below.)
Bleach:
Liquid chlorine bleach, such as Clorox or Purex bleach, can
do 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 purify
drinking water. Don't use dry bleach or any bleach that does
not contain chlorine. Be careful of fumes, and wear rubber gloves.
Do not mix bleach with other household chemical products.
Five types of floodproofing:
- Elevation-Most
houses can be raised so that the lowest floor is above the flood
protection level.
- Relocation-Moving
a building out of the flood-prone area is the surest way to
protect it from flood damage.
- Floodwalls-Floodwalls,
berms and levees all work to keep floodwaters from reaching
your house.
- Dry Floodproofing-Dry
floodproofing means sealing a building to keep floodwaters out.
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 temporarily sealed
with removable shields or sandbags.
- Wet Floodproofing-Building
materials below the flood protection level are replaced with
materials that are resistant to water.
Is your house substantially damaged? Substantially damaged
means that the cost to restore your house to its "before damaged"
condition would equal or exceed 50 percent of the value of your
house before the damage occurred.
Flood insurance
is a good idea even if you have floodproofed your house. Flood
insurance can protect you from unexpected events, such as a flood
that rises higher than your flood protection level. Homeowners'
policies do not cover damage caused by floods.
For a complete
book of Repairing Your Flooded Home, contact: FEMA Publications,
P.O. Box 70274, Washington, DC 20024
Copies are
also available from your local chapter of the American Red Cross.
Ask for ARC 4477.
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