A flood in your home is stressful and the after-effects can be dangerous.
Floodwater can cause lots of damage to your home, especially if the water has been flowing quickly, is over 1 metre deep or has been in the property for a long time.
How to avoid contamination
Floodwater may be contaminated, especially by untreated sewage. So when in or around the property we recommend you wear:
- Rubber boots
- Gloves
- Protective clothing
- Goggles or a face mask
Food or medicines that have been contaminated should be disposed of safely. You can take your medicine to a pharmacy for disposal, or your vet can dispose of any contaminated medicine for your pet.
Drying out your home
Drying and clearing up is the responsibility of the homeowner or landlord. However, our firefighters will use equipment to pump out water and do some salvage work where possible.
Hiring professional services
Specialist companies can be hired to dry out a property – search for ‘flood recovery service near me’. Check with your insurer or landlord to see if this is covered by your insurance.
Doing it yourself
Beware of floodwater in your home – it may contain sharp objects.
Remember that until a competent tradesperson or your utility supplier has checked your electricity, you shouldn’t turn it on, which means you’ll need a generator to power any pumps, humidifiers, dryers or heaters you may decide to use.
If you’re using a generator to dry out your property, never run a petrol or diesel-powered generator indoors. They can produce fatal levels of carbon monoxide. Be aware of the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning and always ensure that your property has a carbon monoxide detector.
If you’re drying out your property yourself there are a few steps to work through:
Remove the standing water
For small areas of flooding you could use a bucket to get rid of the floodwater. For larger areas consider hiring a water pump run by a generator (although never run a petrol or diesel-powered generator indoors).
Remove moisture
Open your windows and doors, as much as you safely can, to ventilate your home. You can also speed the drying process along by hiring commercial air movers, and using dehumidifiers and heaters.
Clean your home
- Remove any furniture or other belongings that are too damaged to keep. But take photos of them first for your insurance claim.
- You’ll need to clean all contaminated surfaces, disinfecting anything that has come into contact with floodwater.
- Give your taps a good clean, and run the water for a while before using.
- You may want to hire a carpet cleaner to tackle your carpets, or on wooden floors – check water hasn’t managed to get underneath.
- Soft furnishings should be given a hot wash (60C or above) to kill bacteria.
It’s normal for the drying out process to take weeks or months.
Social housing and private renting
If you’re in social housing or renting privately, let your landlord know what has happened so they can take any remedial action needed to the property to keep you safe.
Insurance
Contact your insurance company. They will help you with any claims you may need to make, and may require evidence of damage before clean up begins.
Commercial premises
In commercial premises, floodwater may make goods unusable or unsellable. Seek advice from your local authority environmental health department.
The National Flood Forum provide a step by step guide on what you need to do after a flood.