Our team of restoration professionals at Restoration Now! (Restoration Now! Omaha) always recommends safety first in the aftermath of fires, floods, and mold damage. If you experience a flood in your home, it’s important to contact a water specialist immediately. Water damage, especially black water, can be very dangerous. Not only do you risk electrocution if you walk in the water, you can experience sickness due to contaminated water.
Do not touch water during a flood
Special precaution needs to be practiced when making contact with flooded waters anywhere, including your basement, since the water may be contaminated. First, contact a water restoration company like Restoration Now!. Second, if you do need to approach the water be safe and wear rubber gloves and boots to minimize contact with your skin. Keep your hands away from your face while in a flooded basement, so don’t smoke, eat or touch your face. Should you wound yourself while in any flooded area, error on the side of caution and seek medical assistance as soon as possible.
Other precautions
- Without question, never allow any child or pet in a flooded basement.
- Do NOT turn on water faucets that are below the flood level in your basement until the water recedes.
- Do remember that almost anything that’s wet can be slippery, even after the water recedes, so be especially cautious.
- Do NOT use any water that you believe may have been contaminated. Instead, use bottled water if it’s available. If you don’t have access to bottled water, boiling water kills most types of microorganisms that cause disease. Be sure to bring it to a rolling boil for at least one minute.
- If you detect any odor of gas, do NOT touch any switches, telephones or electrical devices as any type of spark could ignite the gas. Immediately vacate the premises, leaving your exit open for ventilation.
In the aftermath of a flooded basement
One of the first things you’ll need to do is move all of your items out of the basement as soon as possible, to allow any wet items to dry in the air (to stave off mildew and rot). Open all of the windows and doors, and if your air conditioner or furnace is safe to operate, turn it on, as well as any fans or dehumidifiers. Of course, you should absolutely contract a qualified service technician to verify your furnace is safe to use in the event that it became wet. If the filter got wet, replace it with a new, dry one.
What to do with food during flooding
If you store food in your basement, any food that got wet should be discarded. An exception could be made for food in glass containers only if the flood water hadn’t reached the lid, but even then, the jar should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Food stored in refrigerators should be discarded if without power for more than six hours, whereas frozen foods that have thawed longer than four hours needs to be disposed.
What to do with items that became wet
- Personal items or medicines that made contact with the flood water should be discarded
- Toxic chemicals (like pesticides) need to be removed.
- Contaminated dishes should be disinfected in a solution of liquid bleach and warm water (2 tablespoons to 1 gallon of water) or washed in a dishwasher if possible.
- Washable fabric items need to washed in warm or hot water (if possible with bleach), but first knock off any residue or dirt.
- You can disinfect and air dry foam rubber mattresses and pillows, but if you have any questions whether they can be properly cleaned, it’s best to just discard them.
Acting fast is paramount
When your basement floods, it’s very important that you begin the restoration process as quickly as possible. Our team at Restoration Now! (Restoration Now! Team) are experienced at quickly and efficiently removing any excess water, evaporating what’s soaked into walls and furniture, dehumidifying the air in your property, and assessing any structural damage. We carefully document everything we do to ensure that you have peace of mind through what is otherwise a very stressful ordeal.
Contact the Restoration Now! in Omaha at (402) 502-7277
If you are ready to get your water damage restoration started and restore your home to a place that is safe for you and your family, call our water restoration team today at 402-502-7277. Remember, we are here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you have questions regarding our services or processes that Restoration Now! water damage in its tracks, feel free to fill out our quick contact form here.