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A flood can turn your home into an extremely dangerous place. There are many potential hazards that could be in your home after a flood and none of them should be taken lightly. All of these hazards are best handled by a dedicated team of water damage restoration professionals like us at Restore Rite in Idaho Falls. Here are six basic tips for safely reentering your home after a flood.
It’s possible that a flood may cause a gas leak in your home. Of course, this can become extremely dangerous for you. If there is any chance that a flood damaged the gas lines in your home, you should refrain from going back into your home until it has been inspected by a professional restoration contractor.
Because water can find its way into all the nooks and crannies of your home, it’s important that you make sure the excess moisture has been removed from every area of your home. When you get back into your home, check these hard-to-reach spots to make sure they are dry. If any moisture remains, use towels, fans, dehumidifiers, and open windows to dry the area out more quickly.
Electrical issues are one of the greatest problems you may encounter after a flood. The floodwater only needs to be a couple of inches off the ground to reach your outlets, power cords, and electronic devices. Asides from simply damaging these possessions, this can also put you at great risk. This happens when the floodwater in your home becomes electrically charged. Stepping into electrically charged water can cause serious injury or even death. Never re-enter your home after a flood until the electricity has been shut off. If your circuit breaker is surrounded by water, call your electricity provider and ask them to turn the power off on their end.
If any of your possessions are still wet after re-entering your home, drying them out should be one of your top priorities. The longer you wait to do so, the greater damage they will sustain which increases the likelihood that you will not be able to salvage them.
Just like your food, a flood can also contaminate your drinking water. Bottled water that has not been previously opened should be fine. However, any drinking water that was not completely sealed should be discarded to prevent contamination.
At the end of the day, the number one most important thing you can do to safely reenter your home after a flood is to call a professional restoration company for help. We at Restore Rite in Idaho Falls are one such company and are here to help you make it through the restoration process as safely and painlessly as possible.