What to do if you have had flooding in your home
Flooding in buildings can occur due to burst pipes, rainwater intrusion or
due to intrusion of river or lake water when these water bodies overflow. Before
entering a flooded building, care should be taken to turn off electricity until
it has been established that there is no danger of electric shock. Care should
also be taken in case natural gas appliances have been extinguished by high
water; to assure that gas flow has been turned off.
In considering what kind of clean-up is required. It is important to
evaluate the type of water that caused the flooding. Water causing a flooding
situation is divided into three categories that require different clean-up
measures. These categories are clear, gray and black water
- Clean clear water is tap water or rainwater.
- Clean up standing water immediately.
- Put washable materials in a washing machine.
- Clean hard surfaces with a mild detergent.
- Dry, or shop vaccuum and dry, beds and couches within 24-48
hours.
- Dry or remove carpets within 24-48 hours.
- Plaster and plasterboard that have been saturated should be removed
and replaced to at least 4 inches above the water line.
- Gray water is water that has been through a sink, shower, washer
or tub.
- Clean up standing water immediately.
- Put washable materials in a washing machine.
- Clean hard surfaces with a mild detergent.
- Dry or shop vacuum and dry, couches as quickly as
possible.
- Clean and dry, or remove, carpets within 24-48 hours.
- Keep children and pets out of the area until cleanup has been
completed.
- Plaster and plasterboard that have been saturated should be removed
and replaced to at least four inches above the water line.
- Clean mops and brooms with a quaternary ammonium detergent after
flushing thoroughly with water. Contact time should be ten minutes. Flushing
with water should be followed with wring out, and drying thoroughly outside
in the open air.
- Black water is water that contains human or animal waste. All
flood water from lakes or rivers is considered black water and should be
treated as follows
- Remove standing water immediately.
- Put washable materials in a clothes washer.
- Clean hard surfaces with a mild detergent.
- Remove and discard beds, couches, and other large permeable objects.
They are not cleanable.
- Remove and discard carpets.
- Keep children and pets out of the area until cleanup has been
completed.
- Remove and replace plaster and plasterboard that have been saturated at least four inches above the water line.
- Disinfect mops, brooms, and brushes (see discussion above).
- Wet porous material can contain mold and
bacteria that can be harmful to your health. If you are cleaning up moldy
material, wear rubber gloves and a mask (N-95) to avoid breathing in
spores. Wear protective goggles while handling contaminated material.
Black water flooding should always be handled as though it contains infectious
organisms. When cleaning-up after a flood, wear skin, respiratory and
eye protection to prevent infection. Wash your hands with soap
and water after handling contaminated material and before eating, smoking or
using make-up. When cleaning up areas flooded with black water, avoid
taking dirty work wear into clean areas, and clean your hands
thoroughly before entering any clean area.
- do not eat food contaminated by flooding.
- Ventilating wet spaces aids in drying. Open all windows and
doors that can be opened. Use fans and heaters to speed drying. When drying
machines are available, windows and doors should be closed and drying machines
vented to the outdoors.
Several state and federal agencies provide more detailed information about flood-related
hazards on their Web sites:
Protect yourself
from mold - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Flood cleanup - U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
Recovering from a
flood/Coping with flood-damaged property
- Federal Emergency Management Agency
Mold
resources - DOH Indoor Air Quality
program
|
