Photo by Pavel Untilov on Unsplash
No one expects to have a flooded home, but it can happen due to a burst pipe, particularly in the winter. So, if your home gets flooded, it’s always better to be prepared to take the necessary steps to stay safe.
One of the most difficult things that people often have to deal with when their home gets flooded is the suddenness of it all. One minute you’re watching TV, the next minute you’re bailing water out of the living room floor and wondering what caused the flooding.
In this article, we’ll share with you, the best tips on what to do in the event of a flooded home.
Locate the Source
If the flooding wasn’t caused by a natural disaster, it is important to identify the source of the flooding and shut it off or seal it off completely. If you can, locate the main water valve to your home or apartment and shut it off.
It always helps to know where that is before there’s an emergency flooding incident. But if not, just find it and turn it off. If the flooding was caused by other factors like natural disasters, then you may not be able to do anything to stop the flooding until the flooding stops.
Shut Off the Power
If you can do this without stepping in the water, that’s even better. Most power mains, switch, or fuse boxes are usually located on the wall near the ceiling inside the house or outside the house.
Try to get to this almost immediately so that there’s little or no risk of electrocution. Many victims of flooding don’t actually die from drowning. It’s from the electric shocks they’re exposed to when the water levels reach the light sockets with the power on.
If you have little ones move them to higher spaces in the house. This can be the attic, first floor, or even on top of a bunk bed. Just get them off the floor and away from the water.
Get Out of the House
Once those two things are done, get you and your loved ones out of the house. This is particularly important if the problem is only in your house.
If it’s a natural cause and your area is flooded, you need to get to higher grounds. This means either going to the upper floors of the building if there’s any or even climbing up to the roof of the building.
Seek Help
Call for help could be your local emergency helpline if it’s a major natural disaster. If the problem is specific to your house alone, then you’ll need to get professional help.
For instance, if the flooding was caused by a burst pipe, get in touch with a burst pipe restoration professional to come check out the problem and recommend viable solutions to the problem.
Most of the time, professionals can help get rid of the water from your home and restore your floors and home to their previous shape or even better shape than they were.
