What to do When Your Home is Flooding

Most school-aged children know the procedure when there is a fire in their Long Beach home—stop, drop, and roll, and get out of the home as quickly as possible. How many people know what to do during a flood? Flooding may not always be as fast moving as a flood, but it can be dangerous and you should know what to do if you are faced with this issue. ACE Restoration is here to bring you some tips for dealing with a flood.

Assess the Level of Danger

In the first moments of a flood, you should be able to determine how serious it is. If water is coming in at a slow trickle from a minor rainstorm, you can probably get away with putting out some pots and pans and call your local long beach flood damage cleanup company to help you after the storm has passed. However, if it is caused by a major storm like a hurricane or a serious water leak within your home, then you may need to evacuate.

Turn Off Water and Electric

If at all possible, without putting you at serious risk, turn off the water and electricity in your home before you evacuate. Make sure you have a flashlight or some source of light if you are staying in your home. If there is active electricity in your home, it is highly likely that you could be electrocuted since electricity is easily transferred through the water. If you’re unable to turn these utilities off before leaving, make sure you disclose this to your water damage cleanup specialist as well as your utility companies.

Even if you do not have to evacuate your home, if there is a leak within your walls you may want to turn off the water in your home. You don’t want the water damage to get worse while you are waiting for a professional to come help out.

Protect Your Belongings

If safety allows, make sure you protect the belongings that you can. If you are having a flood in the basement level of your home, move all valuables, food, and furniture up to higher levels in the home. Though you will still need a water damage cleanup crew to work on your home, you can limit the amount of damage done to your belongings. If you only have one level in your home and it is flooding, move your most precious or expensive belongings up as high as possible on countertops or shelves. If you are evacuating, take irreplaceable things with you such as journals and photographs.

Call a Water Damage Cleanup Crew

After you have made sure your safety isn’t compromised or you have evacuated, call a water damage cleanup Long beach company like Ace Restoration in Long Beach to work on your home. One of the worst things you can do if you have water damage is to try to clean up the surfaces and not worry about extensive damage

 Water can seep into cracks and through drywall. When drywall and wood get wet, they can bow, which reduces the integrity of the structure as well as decreases the value of your home. The presence of water in drywall and flooring also provides an ideal habitat for mold to grow, so it is important to have a professional clean it out immediately.