Flooding Safety Tips
Floods are increasingly becoming a common occurrence, whether caused by weather or by systemic failure in the drainage system. Most people are not aware of the precautionary measures that they can take to ensure that they stay safe even when almost everything is submerged under water.
What exactly should one do in case their home becomes flooded? Below are some simple actions that can go on to save your life.
- Evacuate the area immediately
Regardless of the type of flooding, you should always get anyone that has no business being near the area as far away from the flood as possible. This includes children, the sick and elderly as well as pets.
In case of minimal flooding like in the case of drainage failure, getting these groups of people and pets away from the home will create a conducive environment to deal with the flood without having to worry about their safety. In case of weather-related flooding, then everyone needs to evacuate immediately to prevent drowning which can be very easy with raging waters.
- Switch off the main power switch
Power outages often accompany weather related flooding events. In case the flooding is not as a result of heavy downpour, you should switch off main power switches around the house to prevent electrocution. Some electric appliances have connecting sockets that are at near-ground level and flood water can easily rise to that level, causing even more danger. Just to be safe, put on some protective gear such as rubber boots and rubber gloves and switch off all power sources.
- Get household items off the floor
Salvaging as many of your household items as possible should be on your list of priorities, especially if the flood is not weather related. Flooding from rain water can become catastrophic quickly, so you should be very careful before attempting to save anything in case the flood is too fast. Getting as much of your household items off ground level will help keep them dry and safe from water damage.
- Wear protective gear
Flood water is not always clean water, in fact, it’s rarely ever clean. This is why when it floods, waterborne diseases often rear their ugly heads and spread like wildfire. In order to protect yourself from these kinds of opportunistic diseases that are transported by pathogens that are found in water, you need to wear protective gear. Rubber boots and elbow-length rubber gloves are some of the protective gear that you can wear. These will keep a safe barrier between your skin and the dirty flood water as well as keep you dry – at least for the most part.
- Stay away from fast moving water
Flooding can either happen gradually, like in the case of continuous rain going on for hours or days without stop, or very quickly, as in the case of flash floods. Whichever the case, the last place that you should in any flooding situation is near fast-moving water. Flood water moves fastest near bodies of water and in low spots. This does not mean that flat areas that are away from water bodies won’t experience raging floods. To be safe, avoid going near flooding water all the same. Your priorities in case of a flood should be to stay safe first before checking to ensure that your property is safe as well.
Staying safe during a flooding event will ensure that you have an opportunity to restore any lost or damaged property. Allied Restoration Co. is your trusted partner after such a devastating event. Call us and we’ll help you rebuild and restore your home as quickly and efficiently as possible.