Practical Tips and Advice on Flood Protection & Recovery

What are the floods?

The flood is a situation in which the overwhelming quantity of water accumulates on a dry land. There are different types of floods, and they are different in term of their destructiveness and the damage they cause. Still, each flood means a total submerging of households over a long period of time.

Forecast

The past few years have shown all the terror the floods can cause in the US. It is enough to remember the destruction of New Orleans during the hurricane Katrina and the flood of the coastal parts of New Jersey a few years later, to get the idea how dangerous this occurrence can be. In the following years, due to the climate changes, the probability of such events increases even more.

How severe is the damage?

The New Orleans is but a shade of what it once was. The floods completely destroyed thousands of homes, and killed hundreds of people. The city of New Jersey got a bit of a better deal, as the human casualties were greatly reduced, but the damage was still huge. In this case the flood insurance system was applied better, but the terrain configuration also played an important part.

Protection and Prevention of Floods

The key for the proper defense against these occurrences is prevention and protection.

• Business Flood Protection – a package that provides advice through maps and easy to follow steps which will help you minimize the impact of floods on your business.
• Community Flood Protection – this package is customized for each specific area and helps in preventing the loss of lives and damage made to the specific community.
• Infrastructure Flood Protection – this package covers the risk assessment and flood maps to secure your business infrastructure.
• Home Flood Protection – a highly customizable package that will help you protect your household and the property in it. We also provide insurable systems for flood control.
• Grants for Repairs and Renewal – a service that includes grants of up to $7600 for homes and businesses affected by floods.
• Emergency Equipment – this package consists of the gear required for quick response in both protection and damage control.

Flood can be undone!

Although it may seem impossible, you can remedy the situation after huge floods if you follow all the steps for drying process. The first and the most important thing is to know what type of flood you were affected by. There are 3 different types of floods:

• Flash floods – they are the most dangerous as the entire process is fast and the flood hits in terms of minutes. The speed of the occurrence makes it hard to respond in time to prevent the damage.
• Rapid onset floods – by the level of destruction they are similar to the previous type, but they develop longer, leaving people some time to react.
• Slow on set floods – they are typical for places near big bodies of water. They develop slowly, and last up to several months. They mostly affect crops and livestock, and can cause outbreaks of diseases.

The drying process

The drying process is crucial in minimizing the effects of floods. It is not the best idea to tackle this problem on your own, as it requires trained professionals in order to avoid permanent damage to the objects. The reaction speed is essential. The FEMA has issued several instructions on how to act in such situations.

Handling the Emotions

Floods always provoke strong reactions, and it is of an utmost importance to maintain emotional balance. To avoid getting carried away by the situation, it is advised to look for some professional help and guidance. Some of the places you can find help in overcoming the emotional outbreak are:

• Local flood control services
• Local counselors and volunteers
• Local parishes
• The police
• Red Cross representatives
• Fire department
• National Guard
• Army and Navy
• FEMA

The flood insurance

In case you have flood insurance, you will need to contact the insurance agency as soon as possible and start the collection process.

Things to remember:

• Start cleanup process immediately,
• Additional payments covered by insurance company (if any),
• Save proofs for coverage (bills and receipts),
• Prepare for possible floods in the future,
• Document the conversations with your agent.

What if you are not insured?

This is a rather difficult situation and you will most probably have to depend on the help provided by local authorities and international humanitarian organizations. The recovery process is expensive and can cause some serious financial problems. In the worst case scenario, you would have to do all things by your own. In that case, it is essential to plan. The proper recovery process should be carried out in several steps:

• Estimate the damage
• Determine priorities
• Security assessment
• Mark the water levels
• Remove carpets and rugs
• Remove valuable items
• Dispose