Severe flooding causes structural damage and creates health and fire hazards. Heavy rain, tornadoes and hurricanes can cause major flooding that leads to contamination through sewage or mold.
Mold exposure poses series health risks, so it’s important to begin flood cleanup as soon as its safe to return to your home or business.
Severe Weather Must Calm Down
Wait for severe weather to pass before returning to the structure and arranging for cleanup. It still may not be safe, even if a storm has passed. 77 percent of deaths in a hurricane are caused by drowning. Officials need to also check for downed power lines that may risk electrocution.
When officials declare the area safe, you can initiate the cleanup process by contacting FEMA, insurance claims adjusters and a professional crew to provide disaster relief cleanup. ECOS Environmental can help you file your claim, document the damage for the insurance adjuster’s visit and clean up after the flood.
Start Cleanup Before Mold Strikes
Mold poses a serious health risk and can form within 24 hours of flooding. It can cause concerns in the healthiest of individuals, irritating your eyes, nose, throat, lungs and skin. Mold also leads to more severe reactions and long-term effects in those with allergies, mold infection, compromised immune system or a chronic lung illness.
If you have existing allergies, mold exposure can make you feel like you have the flu. You may experience fever, difficulty breathing, coughing exhaustion and brain fog.
Besides toxic black mold, green-black mold is also harmful. After a flood, you can find it on dust, lint, paper. fiberboard and other low-nitrogen content materials. If you’ve been away for days due to evacuation, contact flood damage cleanup professionals immediately when you suspect mold.
Take the Proper Precautions
Take safety precautions and wear gloves, masks and rubber boots when removing flood-damaged valuables. Never wade in water since contaminants, nails, downed wires and other hazards may linger.
Make sure you’ve had your tetanus shot since you risk serious infection without one, especially if contaminated water touches an open wound or rusty nails gouge you. Floodwater can contain the following contaminants: E. coli, Salmonella, Shigella, Hepatitis A Virus, and agents of typhoid, paratyphoid and tetanus.
Consider public water sources unsafe until officials deem otherwise. Wash fabrics in hot water at the laundromat and dry-clean them. You can clean some surfaces with soap and water, but put safety first. Use duct tape to secure refrigerator and freezer doors after food disposal.
Always consult with local authorities before removing debris. It’s better to let the cleanup crew handle this process due to potential hazards. Floods can bury and move chemical containers and hazardous waste far from their original locations. Let officials handle chemical and electrical hazards.
Apply for Relief Urgently
Always contact your insurance company, FEMA and local government relief agencies for assistance. However, response time may take hours or days, depending on need and demand.
Many national restoration companies promise a four-hour response time frame, and smaller businesses can provide faster service with the same aptitude and expertise. Don’t hesitate to contact a licensed flood damage expert. ECOS Environmental is equipped to respond and address these hazards in record time. Our experts arrive at your location no later than two hours from dispatch and typically within an hour for most locations.
The longer water sits in your home or business, the more hazards you risk. Insurance companies and government officials stress that cleanup should begin as soon as possible after a major flood. Mold, downed lines and other hazards threaten your safety without a fast response.
Contact ECOS Environmental to help you save on out-of-pocket expenses in record time, restore your home and business and document the whole process for the insurance company. Always put safety first.
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