How to cope with the floods
The 2009 – 2010 winter has seen extreme weather conditions across much of the world. AT the time of writing (March 3rd 2010), there have been recent bad floods in southern and northern Spain, Madeira, Germany, England, Italy, France, Chile, USA, to name but a few.
If you are unlucky enough to live in one of the areas hit by the latest bout of flooding and bad weather, we would like to suggest a few straight forward steps you can take to minimise damage to your home or commercial building before the floodwaters invade your property and also there are some suggestions to intensify and speed up repairs once the flood waters start to recede.
With the increasing occurrence of bad weather of late, some insurance companies have issued handy information as to how not only you can prevent the water coming in, but if it DOES enter the building, further suggestions are offered as to what to do in that eventuality. Fingers crossed it doesn’t happen to you, but just in case, here is some handy info. (If you think you ARE at risk of flooding, please feel free to print this off, for personal non commercial use only)
What to do if you fully expect your property to be affected by floods.
- Check you are fully insured! It may sound daft to suggest but it doesn’t take much time and effort to take a look at your existing policy, or contact your broker, just to be on the safe side. Can you imagine how you would feel if you were flooded and when you contacted the insurance company; they tell you your policy expired last week? Don’t laugh, it DOES happen. Make sure you are fully covered and make sure they know how to contact you if you have to leave your home, for example, make sure your mobile number is left with them……….and dont forget to have your mobile on you at all times, and the contacts backed up somewhere safe just in case.
- If water entering the house is imminent, turn off the gas, the electric and also water at the mains supply, so make sure you know how to do this BEFORE the water arrives or arrives at a level that compromises the waterproofing element of the house.
You should be advised, or rather warned, that flood water can enter the house through the drains.
The easiest way of preventing this is by putting the plugs in each sink, bath, bidet or washbasin and weighing them down with something heavy.
This also applies to the LOO. 
If the drains are overwhelmed, flood water, AND EVERYTHING ELSE (!), will rise up through the toilet and into your home. Not nice eh? Avoid contact with floodwaters; they may be contaminated with sewage. Flood water can also come into your property through airbricks or other vents, so remember to block them off. When the waters subside, remove these covers and this will facilitate the drying of the house.
- If and when you are outside, don’t wade through deep floodwaters; manhole covers may have lifted, leaving dangerous unseen holes and this also applies to manhole covers on paths or driveways around your house, so memorise where they are, and if flooding is expected, mark them, for example something on the wall next to them or a pole sticking out the ground, so you know where they are. These manholes are especially dangerous if draining has commenced and the waters are trying to flood away as the hole will cause a huge suction and can and will suck you in, so be very careful.
- Unplug all electrical items like TV, video, playstations, PC’s etc, and store them upstairs or on a high shelf. Disconnect anything connected to a pipe like a washing machine etc as if the house floods and they float away, at least they wont rip the pipes out of the wall too.
- Try and move anything you can upstairs or to a high place and this includes rolling up carpets and rugs, as once they get wet, they are ruined, so be warned
- Do not touch the electrics. Seriously. Even if its nigh time and you want to switch the light on to actually see, DON’T! You would be submerged in water, which would have a live connection to the electric, if it is still connected. I don’t need to explain what would happen next………;If you think you may be flooded, have torches and candles at the ready, on your person if possible.
- Make sure you leave the inside ground floor doors open because they may swell up if submerged or even just the lower part standing in water and therefore there is a good chance they would stick or jam and you would not be able to open them.
Do exactly as the emergency services, fire and police etc, tell you to do, don’t be a hero in this situation, if they tell you to get out NOW, they really mean it and its for your own good, so do as they tell you to do.
If you are in a vehicle, don’t try and drive through floodwater, the car can be swept away for a start, or the least worse scenario, it can stall and you will be stuck there, which is far worse if the water is rising. Also be advised you may not be covered by your car insurance if you wilfully risk the car by driving through a flood.
What to do after the flood.
Contact your insurance company immediately.
If there is any emergency work to do, such as hiring a water pump to drain the house, or getting a hole in the roof fixed, just do it and keep the receipt. If the place has only minor damage, make a decision whether to claim or not on the insurance as next year your premium will go up a lot if you do.
Let friends and relatives know that your ok.
Move anything that is not too badly damaged upstairs or away from flood water where possible. Store damaged furniture, fittings and other possessions in a dry place – they may have a salvage value or be repairable and will need to be inspected. But if you suspect the flood water to be contaminated (by sewage, for example), discard the affected items immediately
Fridges and freezers should be cleaned out as soon as possible and any food thrown away. If you have the relevant insurance cover, remember to keep a list of the food items for your claim and, if possible, take photographs.
- Once the water has begun to recede and the level goes down as it drains away, weather permitting, open all the doors and windows during the day but don’t leave it unattended like that for obvious reasons.
- Buy or Hire dehumidifiers and close the windows. These machines are invaluable for drying a house out after flooding but be prepared for a long wait! Some families who have been flooded out of their houses, especially cases from Hull and also Gloucestershire, are still living in caravans or temporary accommodation 6 months after their house was flooded.
- However tempting when you see your once lovely house, ruined by floods, don’t attempt to redecorate straight away. This would be very difficult, and also whatever paint etc you use, will not last for more than a few weeks, or a few days, making you even more frustrated, be patient if your home has flooded, the mess will take some time to sort out.
- Generally, masonry (brickwork or block work) should be largely unaffected by the water if it is allowed to dry out properly. The drying out process may take some time if the masonry has been saturated. As a rough rule of thumb, you should allow one month for every inch of wall thickness.
- It is also important to bear in mind your house may be one with cavity walls so you need to take the cavity into consideration as that may be wet also, especially if it is insulated with the typical tiny polystyrene beads that they insulate walls with in the UK. Then check with a decorator, a wallcoating specialist, damp proofing company or other expert to ensure that the walls and other surfaces are fully dried out and, if necessary, treated to prevent mould and penetrating damp into the walls.
Lastly, if you have survived an awful flooding experience, take good note of the following.
Your home was flooded, possibly for a reason (not withstanding freak once in a lifetime events like hurricanes, volcanoes, wars and suchlike) and therefore if your home flooded for a reason, identify that reason as your main number one priority.
Then act upon it.
Do you live somewhere that is prone to flooding?
If so, you have the following choices what to do, after you have sorted and repaired your home.
1) Did you do enough research before buying your home?
2) Has flooding in the area happened before?
3) If a nearby water drain blocked or burst, contact your local council and possibly the water company in your area, they may be at fault and you could then claim compensation.
4) Did a local stream or river overflow and could it have been prevented?
5) Were other people also flooded? You would be advised to seek the counsel and friendship of these people and this will also help pass on any important info, and again, for all of you to find out why it happened and try and maker sure it doesn’t happen again.
6) Move out and sell it. Easiest way in theory, but if you live in a flood area, possibly not so easy, unless you sell at a bargain price or at auction. It depends on how much money you want to lose and how much you love where you live. (despite the water)
7) If your home was flooded because you did not take adequate steps yourself to prevent the water entering your home, learn from your mistakes, and make sure there is adequate provision if there is another flood, in the future, and then in theory, your home will NOT flood as you acted upon what went wrong initially.
Written by Guy Alexander Bell, editor of the paint and wall coatings website “www.neverpaintagain.co.uk”.
