How to Clean Flood and Storm Water from your Home in Beaverton, OR

Emergencies caused by natural disasters can be terrific. Sadly, these emergencies don’t knock or even give you time to respond to them. For example, when it rains too much and floods occur, flood water will get into your home abruptly. You will have no time to prepare or even call for help to prevent the floodwater from getting into your house. You will watch house floods without being able to do anything about it.

Flood water
Flood water refers to water that flows from a river, lake, leaks, carelessly opened taps etc. Sometimes the water comes from too much rain falling on the soil surface.

Consequences of floods
Floods have many consequences. Floodwaters have damaged property and claimed lives. While floodwaters have caused damage, floods have played a critical role in our ecosystem functions and biodiversity. Floods also contaminate water supply systems such as wells, rivers, ponds, and dams. Any drinking water source that mixes with floods are equally contaminated.

Standing water
This type of water refers to water that is stagnant in one place. These include water in water supply systems like ponds, dams, and wells. Well taken care of standing water are less harmful to human beings. However, standing water resulting from floods can be dangerous to humans. Moisture gathered in holes, for example, forms breeding grounds for mosquitos, thus spreading malaria. Other disease-causing organisms can live in the flooded and spread water-borne diseases like bilharzia.

Standing water mainly results from poorly drained soil and low spots in the yard. For poorly drained soil, proper drainage can be done by constructing storm drains to carry away flood water, reduce flooding and create a safe environment for people and property.

Things to do when your house floods
Floods can ruin your life within minutes. You cannot control what floods do to you and your family. However, you can take precautionary measures to prevent danger. Here are a few guides you can use before calling us for flood cleanup.

First, do not panic. Relax and see ways to escape from the scene and if that is the best option to prevent loss of life, think safety first and always.

Get to the fuse box and turn off the main power switch from your power equipment. Do this as well to all the individual fuse switches. Water and electricity do not mix, and your house’s electrical system will be compromised. Avoid electrical shock by doing the basics. If you have gas in your home, switch off the main gas valve to prevent gas leaks. If you can still smell gas even after switching off the valve, call the gas company for help.

Wear protective gear to reduce your chances of being hurt. For example, you can wear rubber boots. Rubber boots do not conduct electricity and will protect you from shock. Boots will protect you from chemical substances harmful to your health.

Flooding caused by a burst in water pipe or breakage of the water supply system can be stopped by blocking the water source.

Ensure the property is structurally safe. Avoid getting into a house if it has the risk of falling. Contact your facility company for help where necessary. If your home doesn’t have good drainage, you face higher risks doing things by yourself.

Call your flood insurance company to inform the company of the occurrence.
The flood insurance company should speed up the cleanup process and return to normalcy. Strictly follow instructions from your insurance company about the cleanup process. Wait for the adjuster the company sends before you begin cleanup.

To ensure you completely dry the area, remove any stagnant water. Water damage can be deceptive. Some water can penetrate structural cavities on partially enclosed structures. Try to limit water seepage that you may come across.

Guidance on cleaning your home after a flood
Flood cleanup is not an easy task. The Federal Emergency Management Agency suggests general methodologies on what you can use to be safe. However, since you are not a professional, here are a few guides you can use to deal clean up floods:

Wear protection. Floodwaters carry all manner of dirt. Plastic bags, storm drains, ditches, and sewer lines. These substances should not touch your skin.

Cover your legs and hands to prevent you from getting into contact with sewage or mold. They can cause allergic reactions. Also, wear a mask to prevent you from breathing in mold spores which can cause respiratory problems.

Drying out a home after a flood should be done as soon as possible to prevent mold from growing. Mold growth starts in 24 hours. Within two days, you will see mold nearly everywhere. In the drying process, use a wet-dry shop vacuum. For water flooding the basement, use a sump pump or gasoline-powered pump to drain the water.

Airing out the house is the first step to getting rid of mold. Use an air conditioner to provide conditioning to your home.

Keep indoor air conditioners running. It sends cold air outwards and ensures the house air system is superb. Proper circulation of air will remove excess moisture. If you only have fans in your house, you can keep your windows open. The exhaust should also be placed to face the open windows.

If you have no power, a portable generator could help. While using a generator, beware of carbon monoxide poisoning from the gas it produces. You can control carbon monoxide poisoning by ensuring you do not run the generator indoors, and if you do not have power, open windows, and doors for air to flow if weather permits.

Use moisture meters to monitor the moisture. To detect and remove excess water, you will need a moisture meter.

Use shovels or rakes to remove wet silt and debris from your home. Throw it away from your home. Before you get home, ensure you sanitize your clothes and clean the tools with bleach after use. You can mix chlorine bleach to form mix bleach solution. Chlorine bleach is a good disinfectant.

If any household items have been damaged and you can’t clean and dry them within twenty-four to forty-eight hours of your house being flooded, follow the recommendation from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and discard them. The chances are that these items already harbor mold.

Remove Flooring. Your ceramic tile, sheet vinyl, laminate, solid wood floors, and other hard surfaces may appear intact. However, moisture can gather below the solid wood and other building materials, causing havoc.

Lastly, vet the people you hire to help with flood restoration for your home. To know our quality of work, visit our website, and see how we provide excellent customer service to our clients.

Let Pacific NW Restoration Clean Flood and Storm Water from your Home in Beaverton, OR
Contact Pacific NW Restoration for all your flood restoration needs. With years of expertise and reliable service provision, we got all you need to bring your home to shape after floods. We have the right gear and equipment to handle flood-related cleanups and our personnel is adequately trained to avoid danger to themselves and others. Call us today at 503-994-9371 to get assistance any time of day or night.

Contact us and let us eliminate the danger and stress flooding brings. We are Portland’s top water damage restorers for a reason. Being fully licensed, bonded, and insured, our track record speaks for itself and our experts are focused on delivering the best each time you call Pacific NW Restoration.
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You can visit us at 7275 SW 195th Avenue #201  Beaverton, Oregon 97007-5524, email us at info@pacificnwrestoration.com, or contact us today!