Whether you are faced with property damage due to a flood caused by inclement weather, a natural disaster, a leaking roof or a home water system malfunction, there are some best practices you’ll want to employ post-flood to ensure the safety of your property and family and to prepare you for the best possible outcome with your insurance company when you go to file a flood damage insurance claim.
Because, as a property owner, you should be aware that anytime flooding occurs, it is usually on a large scale and will require a lot of work, maintenance, and money to repair damages and restore losses. Additionally, Newsweek recently reported that in South Florida, “$69 billion worth of property is at risk of flooding in less than 15 years.”
If your community has been flooded and your property or home has suffered flood damage, it is your responsibility to secure your property after a flood to prevent any additional damage from occurring.
Here is what the experts at Aaraya Claims Public Adjusting recommend you do before make filing your insurance claim easier.
DO:
- Evacuate when advised by authorities or if you are in a flood or flash flood-prone area. Evacuation is the best action to protect yourself and your family.
- Contact Aaraya Claims Public Adjusting immediately.
- Return home only when authorities declare it to be safe.
- Watch out for debris when traveling home and be aware of areas where floodwaters have receded. Floodwaters often erode roads and walkways.
- Avoid standing water as it may be electrically charged from downed power lines.
- Protect yourself and wear waterproof boots and rubber gloves to remove water-damaged possessions and to avoid contaminants.
- Thoroughly dry out the building’s interior for at least 30 minutes before re-entering.
- Photograph the damage because your adjuster will need evidence of the damage and damaged items.
- Separate the damaged items from the undamaged items.
- Examine the property’s exterior for any visible structural damage, such as warping, loosened, or cracked foundation elements to make sure the building is not in danger of collapsing.
- Keep watch for any animals that may have entered the building with the floodwaters.
- Ensure specific policy information, like company and policy number, is available.
- Create a list of damaged or lost items, including their age and value if possible.
- Mitigate mold and remove wet contents immediately.
- Restore water-damaged books, heirlooms, and photographs with tips from ready.gov.
DO NOT:
- Attempt to drive through areas that are still flooded.
- Make any contact with floodwater, if at all possible.
- Keep the main power on.
- Return to the home until the authorities have instructed you to do so.
- Eat any food that has come in contact with floodwater.
Property damage is our expertise! Anyone needing additional information, or if you are unsure if you need a public adjuster for your flood damage insurance claims, should call Aaraya Claims Public Adjusting at (813) 609-2328. Get a full understanding of your flood insurance coverage and the insurance claim filing process by contacting one of our expert public adjusters today!