What to do if you Have a Flood?

If your home, condominium, apartment, office, or other building has suffered serious roof, wall, structural, flooding, or other water damage because of a hurricane, typhoon, tornado, windstorm, flooding, earthquake, fire, or other natural disaster, you would be wise to take the following preventive steps to reduce the resulting mold infestation that will surely grow from the damage your home or building has suffered.

If you have Water Damage,
Immediately Call a Certified Flood Restoration Company

1. Call in a Certified Floor Restoration Company within 24 hours after the flood begins because mold will start to grow as soon as 24 to 48 hours after water damage is sustained.
2.  Cover or close in securely with tarps all broken windows, damaged roof sections, damaged siding sections, and other storm or fire building damage to keep as much rain as possible from entering into your home. The more water that enters your home, the worse the mold damage your property will suffer.
3. Remove from your home any and all contents that may have gotten wet. FEMA recommends that flood or water damage victims first get everything that is wet out of the house. Clothing can be cleaned in a washing machine or dry cleaned. But things like wet sheetrock, insulation, carpeting ... probably have to be thrown away.
4. Call your insurance company within 24 hours to report the claim.
5. Take before, during and after photographs of the damage that your home has incurred. You may need this photographic evidence for your insurance company to prove your claim.
6. Two weeks after the flood, hire a Certified Mold Inspector to come in and perform a detailed inspection and testing of your home. You want to be sure the flood cleanup was done correctly and no mold issues exist.
7. Read your insurance policy very carefully to see how the insurance company may try to restrict or reject your insurance claim for mold growth damage and for the expenses of mold inspection, testing, and remediation. If you don’t understand the policy, have it explained to you by your agent, the insurance company claims adjuster, an independent insurance adjuster [who works solely on your behalf against the insurance company on a commission basis], or your attorney. You may need a written report from a Certified Mold Inspector. If you test positive for mold, you will need the Certified Mold Inspector to document that there is new mold growth that was directly caused by the sudden and accidental, insured event such as a hurricane, typhoon, tornado, windstorm, fire, or water line break. If you believe your insurance policy should cover the water and mold damage, but the company refuses to pay, you will need to have professional representation by an independent insurance adjuster or an insurance-oriented attorney.