How to protect your home and furniture from flood damage
HOUSTON - Now that we're keeping an eye on the Gulf for tropical activity, it's a good time to prepare for the possibility of a flood.
Usually, when we talk about floods, we talk about sandbags. But a flood expert says they're not always enough.
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Even one inch of flood water can cause $30,000 in damage inside a home.
Rodney Washington with United Water Restoration in Missouri City says, first, take photos of your valuables and of each room, in case you need to file an insurance claim.
"I call it four corners. We go in each corner of the room, take an overall picture where you can see exactly what that room looked like," said Washington.
Take furniture and items on the floor upstairs, or elevate them on a table or counter.
For furniture that you can't put up, Washington says they use at least one-inch blocks of foam, or you can cut wood blocks, to lift it up off the floor.
"We’ll come in and stack your furniture on these blocks. This block is maybe an inch high. It gets it up out of that water," Washington said, showing us an armchair on blocks.
He says weather stripping won't stop a flood, but it can limit some rain from entering. So check or replace your door and window seals.
Store important documents in the cloud, or in waterproof bags.
"Social Security cards, birth certificates, copies of your insurance policies, have all these in a secure thing," said Washington.
Sign up to receive alerts from your county's flood alert system. Here's the link to Harris County's.
Establish an evacuation plan for your family, and pack essential medications, water, and non-perishable foods for your family and pets.
Turn the power off before you leave, or before re-entering the home. Don't enter if you see downed power lines.
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When it is safe to enter, wear waterproof boots, gloves, a mask, and goggles.
"You don’t know what type of bacterial things are in there. Just think of your grass outside," said Washington.
And take pictures again of any damage for your claim.
If a restoration company can’t come right away, sweep water out of your home with a bucket or broom as soon as possible.
"Secondary damage is mold, mildew, and rot. That’s going to happen if water is just sitting there and not dealt with properly," said Washington.
Here's one last tip: make contact before a storm with a water restoration company, a plumber, an electrician, or a contractor.
When everyone is calling them for repairs after a disaster, Washington says many businesses will help existing customers they already know first.