The Urgent Guide to Storm Water Damage & Flooding

Disclosure:

The following information is for educational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice. PJ Harlow Wellness Inc, expressly disclaims all liability with respect to actions taken or not taken by the recipient based on any or all of the information or other contents of this post. PJ Harlow Wellness inc. makes no warranty, expressed or implied, about the accuracy or reliability of the information in this post or to any other website to which it is linked.

Please be sure to check with your insurance company & any professionals with regards to your personal circumstances before applying any recommendations here.

Written By:

Peter Harlow WRT | AMRT Applied Microbial Remediation Technician, Holistic Mold Consultant

PJ Harlow, CHHP | TCST | UFT | Holistic Health Practitioner, Holistic Mold Consultant, Trauma & Crime Scene Technician

Who is this for?

This page was created as an educational tool to help Holistic-Minded Homeowners & Renters who have sustained flooding or severe water damage to get ahead and gain control of the circumstances by working to mitigate further risk, to remove saturated building materials & compromised possessions all to prevent future health risk, microbial & fungal growth. If you have sustained water damage during a flood, storm or event, the following educational suggestions are where we would begin.

Primary Objective: Get Things Dry

We understand a water damage or a flood can be incredibly stressful, especially if you've had past experiences with mold. But before you rush in, take a deep breath. You've got this, and we'll guide you through it step-by-step.

Realistic Time Frames

While acting quickly is important, there's a difference between speed and recklessness.

Bacterial growth might occur in standing water, but mold usually needs 24-72 hours (or even longer) to establish itself in a favorable environment. Even the infamous "black mold" (Stachybotrys) takes about a week of constant moisture to colonize. Research has shown us that Stachybotrys (toxic black mold) will commonly grow on drywall, i.e. its recycled paper facing can be predisposed to dormant spores. With that said, drywall and insulation are two of the first things we want to remove in a flooded house. We will discuss this further below.

But first, Is this covered under my insurance?

Water Damage Insurance Claims Tips

If you believe you may have coverage:
- File an insurance claim - get an idea of when an adjuster will be out. Let them know you will be documenting everything with video/photos, & that you will be working to mitigate additional water damages, and the risk of mold & microbial growth.
- Record everything with video: Exterior, Interior, Contents: this is evidence for any possible claim’s coverage.
  - If your home is uninhabitable, (loss of house, a bathroom, toilet or water usage) be sure to inquire about loss of use coverage (usually this is coverage D on a homeowner’s policy) also known as “additional living expenses” or (ALE).
Make only temporary repairs to protect the house and your belongings. For instance, put a tarp over a hole in the roof, making a flood cut so parts of the drywall above the water damage can be salvaged, or covering a broken window with poly plastic. Do not make any permanent repairs right now. Your insurance company & claims adjuster may deny your claim if you make permanent repairs before they are able to assess the damage(s).
Delays with claims: The general turnaround for an investigation is within fifteen days after you filed a claim. Expect delays during catastrophic events as everyone will be putting in claims. When there is a catastrophic event with multiple claims happening at the same time, most companies aren’t staffed with enough adjusters to reach everyone immediately or within normal time constraints, however they will fly in CAT Teams to help work through the uprising in claims. Under general circumstances your company may ask you for more information, and has another 15 days or so after you respond before it must accept or reject the claim. If the company agrees to pay the claim, it commonly must do so within five days. If the company rejects the claim, it must give you the reasons in writing.
Purchase a combo pinned/scanner or a scanning moisture meter asap. Begin to measure & document the moisture levels and map out how far the moisture extends IMMEDIATELY, even in areas where it doesn’t appear that way. Water can seep in between the drywall, where you can’t see it from the outside. Take photographic evidence & document multiple areas of moisture levels daily. Extend out well past the visibly damaged areas. This is your proof. The company that comes to fix this, along with your assigned claims adjuster will likely not reach your home for weeks during a catastrophe. They will most likely recommend to remove areas that only “look” wet or that only appear severely physically damaged at the time they measure. *Note: From a health perspective, once drywall is wet, that area of the drywall is compromised. Insurance companies will NOT agree with this.
#4 is an area where you will have to strongly advocate for yourself, and for the health of your home & family. You will have to provide tangible, photographic evidence of moisture & saturation levels in order to have these areas approved for removal and to be covered by insurance. We commonly see improper handling of water damaged drywall, sheetrock, kitchen cabinetry/hardwood floors & wet insulation, etc. Water restoration companies are commonly trained to dry everything (especially surface drying) vs demo’ing risky or expensive areas when it’s an insurance claim. This can be catastrophic down the road for the health of the occupants, leading to hidden microbial growth beyond areas that were not dried. You may even have to pay out of pocket to get this done right.
*All insurance policies are different, so we suggest speaking to your insurance agent to verify coverages for the type of peril and claim that you have. You can also read about your exclusions in your policy booklet, like this example from State Farm.
When making your claim, do it the “WRITE” way (see our guide below). Be sure to Write everything down, Record everything with photos & videos, create and Inventory, paired with a Timeline of events, including who you have spoken to from your company, times, dates, a synopsis of the conversation & the expected follow up. This can also include any conversations with contractor’s, inspector’s, or any company you call to come investigate. This is your EVIDENCE. Finally, while we would never recommend stalling or not contacting your insurance company, simultaneously, arrange to get some Estimates from contractors, inspectors &/or water restoration companies that can come either before, or during your claims adjuster visit. This is to ensure you are getting a true understanding of the damage incurred, and a realistic expectation of price/cost to repair or replace.
After documenting how the claim happened, and including every aspect of the damages, then you can begin to mitigate by removing any standing or pooled water, drying any damaged areas by working to remove soaked carpets, padding, porous possessions & wet building materials, etc.

To-Do List Post Flood or Water Damage Event

Assess the Risk First:

Just because a storm has stopped doesn’t mean the risk is gone. Stay diligent, aware and informed. Make sure you are allowed to return to your home if your town has flooded. There are risks of cave-in’s, mudslides, rising waters, electrical wire shock, gas leaks, and explosions.
If there is standing water around your house, do not go in. Water pressure around the foundation is risky for occupants. If the standing water has receded, assess the exterior area for electrical wires or gas leaks. If there is a gas leak, you will likely smell a gassy, rotten eggs/sulfur smell (gas leak). If you find either, don’t be a superhero & contact authorities.
If there is major flooding in your home, it is advised to turn off the electric to avoid any shock or fire, & shut off your water at the main water valve. Here is a video on where to find your main water valve. Some towns will forbid re-entry into flooded areas and homes until a licensed inspection company has verified those areas/homes are safe.

Organize & Delegate:

Delegate someone to be the director, or coordinator, & others in the household to act & be the "doers" —Demo, Organizers/Separators, Cleaners, Caretakers, Meal-makers. In times of great distress, or urgency, impatience, frustration & arguments can fire-up quickly since trauma responses, stress levels and emotions are already triggered and extremely sensitive. It's best to have these positions pre-assigned at the beginning, so everyone knows their role.
Try to take a team approach and even get together with other families so that one or two parents can take care of the children while other family members and parents go back to the houses. Children should not be on site when returning to a flooded home for the first time.
Delegate a list maker, to create a checklist of your damaged possessions, & a list of needed supplies. Keep a ziplock for all the receipts whether it’s materials to mitigate risk or make temporary repairs to protect the future integrity of the home/space, in addition to any needed items to clean & decontaminate any ares that were flooded or destroyed. Focus on mitigating risk before thinking about replacing possessions that are not essential for clean up or your immediate living needs right now.

Understand the Risks in Dealing w/Flood Water

Keep children out of highly flooded areas; do NOT let them play in the water as it’s highly contaminated.
DO NOT SWIM IN FLOOD WATER.
What’s in flood water?
A: Flood waters contain raw sewage, pathogenic bacteria, parasites & fecal matter, in addition to gas, chemicals, pesticides, glyphosate, and other harmful toxic &/or infectious materials. Try not to submerge yourself in flood water unless you are absolutely forced to i.e. you had to walk through it to get out of danger or you are a working emergency professional. Wash your hands frequently with regular soap, and treat any open wounds immediately.
PPE/What do I wear when going through my flooded contents?
A: Wear proper clothing & protective gear when cleaning up post flood damage: This means NO flip flops, NO open toe shoes, or sandals. Feet should be fully covered preferably with knee high rubber boots (boots should also be worn over the top of coveralls). Rubber gloves, N95 masks or better yet, a full/half face P100 respirator is also recommended gear when working in contaminated water & with contaminated materials. We like the 3M P100 Respirator Cartridge/Filter 60926 (Magenta Olive) or 3M P100 Cartridge/Filter 60921 (Magenta Black) which is standard for mold, but does not protect from chemicals & odors.
Take note: After the flooded drys be extremely cautious and be sure to wear a respirator because contamination will be fully airborne.
What if I cut myself?
Treat all cuts, scrapes and abrasions quickly to prevent infection. Be sure to clean the wound with soap and water and then cover to prevent further exposure. Open wounds can easily become severely infected. Bacteria, parasites, fungi, & other disease causing microorganisms thrive in sewer lines and drains. For that reason alone, keep any exposed wounds covered, and wear PPE in any part of flooded water in your home, including water damages from backed up plumbing. Pathogens can enter through your pores, eyes, cuts & wounds.
Should I wash my clothes after working with flooded contents?
Launder any exposed clothing each day after clean-up/working in a flooded house for the day, using hot water & a detergent like Tide Hygenic Clean or Persil with a strong surfactant and if your clothes are notably contaminated, use a sanitizer like Clorox Laundry Sanitizer or Lysol Sanitizer Free & Clear.

General Tips

The object is to extract as much excess water as possible & dry these areas as fast as you can - within 24-48 hours is a GREAT goal. We know that circumstances can prevent you from doing so, but mold can begin to grow within 24-72 hours depending on the species, and if the terrain is hospitable. Bacteria grows even faster.
Containment, such as poly plastic & sandbags, may need to be up to limit the risk of secondary/additional damage to unaffected areas of the location.
Section-off an area away from the damaged area for storing any salvageable non-porous possessions.
Find or construct another ideal area (preferably outside of the main living space) for possessions/building materials that cannot be salvaged & will be eventually discarded. Water soaked drywall and insulation should not be reused even if dried. These items are beyond repair if saturated entirely (Examples: carpet, upholstered furniture, mattresses, soaked drywall, particle board, etc.).
Do not permanently throw anything away right now, just remove & separate items.
Remove all wet items and possessions from the wet floor such as furniture, rugs, bedding, carpets, toys, etc. (Salvageable items first).
Elevate any soaked/wet larger items off the ground so that air flow can reach the underside. (Use cinder blocks, bricks, wood blocks, sawhorses, etc.)
Work to extract pools of water using a wet vac, mop, floor squeegee, towels or whatever you can to push/pull or remove water from carpets, floors & hard surfaces outside, into buckets or towards a drain if you are in a basement. Always squeegee towards exits of buildings, avoiding walls.
If you have access to a water pump, use it to direct water outside of the dwelling and away from the foundation.
Use caution when removing contaminated materials after the 24-48 hour mark (bagging them up) to ensure that you do not cross contaminate other areas of the home.

Cleaning & Ventilating the Air

If a sewer line has burst, or if the water is flood water, it will be highly contaminated. Bacteria & fungi don’t just stay consolidated in the carpet/building materials. These harmful contaminates can aerosolize into the air, and significantly even more once materials start to dry. PPE IS A MUST. Regardless of the type of water pipe that has burst, there is likely risk of contamination with such an event. We always lean heavier on the side or risk & precaution, so our suggestions will do the same.
Weather permitting, open your windows to let the moist air escape - (diluting the air in your home can also be done by cracking one window on one side of the home, and another on the other side, manually ventilating the space) This can be an option if it’s too cold in your area.
If you have electric, use an air filter to reduce particulates in the air. We like Jaspr Code PJHARLOW) or Medify. Feel free to request access to our Best in Air Guide for more info
Another cheaper more sensible option is to make a DIY box filtered fan using a 20x20 box fan, a MERV 8 to 11 Filter & tape (or zip ties) to create a DIY air filtration device to help clean/filter the air in the space. Air scrubbers and other industrial AFD’s work great to filtrate air.

Carpets & Insulation

(At your own risk) Saturated carpet/padding should be removed and discarded ASAP. We want to “try” to mitigate the sub-flooring of a home from staying soaking wet. We do not condone the drying of hardwood flooring after submersion during extreme water loss events. Hardwood & sub-flooring that has been saturated and then dried loses its integrity. The risk of current & future microbial growth including pathogenic bacteria and molds is high in this circumstance. It’s our professional opinion that it’s not worth the possible consequences. Being mold survivors & mold consultants, we believe in removing ALL water damaged materials, with the exception of only more permanent structures, (like structural framing), which we would evaluate individually to assess it’s capacity for professional drying and cleaning.
Once you have removed the majority of water from the flooring (using pump, squeegee, or whatever tools you have), begin to pull up the carpet from tacks and remove it.
You may need to remove sections of the baseboard to pull up the carpet, it isn’t always necessary but some cases it is. If baseboards are water damaged, we would remove them too. You might have to take a razor blade and cut at the seam on top of the baseboards, then dislodge the baseboards using a flathead screwdriver/crowbar.
Begin at one corner of your room & pull the carpet up. If it won’t come up, cut a small 6x6 inch square in the corner with your utility knife. Remove this small piece of carpet & then pull up on the larger section.
Due to the weight of saturated carpet, we recommend to cut the carpet into 16” wide strips with a utility knife, so you can roll up each piece of carpet & padding (like a fruit roll up) and place into a contractor style garbage bags. We suggest double bagging depending on the strength of your garbage bags. Throw out the closest window or carefully carry out through the house without getting any dry areas wet. Check out this vid for tips on how to cut with a utility knife.
It is suggested to keep the bags of carpet/padding in an area outside of the home as they will grow mold & bacteria.
INSULATION: (At your own risk) Remove any saturated insulation & padding in the same manner. Padding is usually stapled down. You’ll need needle nose pliers, and a screwdriver (flathead) to help pull up the tacks. Be sure to put those in a cup or bowl so no one steps on them. Bag up in the same way and discard outside of the house.
Use a mop, towels or squeegee if the flooring or subfloor is saturated.
Open your windows to allow air movement (unless using fans, Air Movers and dehumidification).
At some point when power returns, and the bulk of water damaged materials are removed, you may be able to utilize fans and dehumidifiers to remove excess moisture, in this case you would have to evaluate whether to shut the windows. If there is visible mold, do not use dehumidifiers and fans, as this can spread contamination.
If possible, rent Air Movers and industrial dehumidifiers to speed up the drying process. This will be extremely difficult, due to high demand & water restoration technicians with most of this equipment will be extremely booked during catastrophic flooding events. You can also purchase Air Movers/dehumidifiers at any Lowes/Home Depot department store.
If your drywall is wet, remember, most likely the insulation behind it is wet as well. (Water wicks further through drywall past the visible water line. Always cut a foot to two feet higher for security)

Interior Walls (Dry Wall), Cabinetry & Ceilings:

(At your own risk) Remove all fully wet (saturated) or contaminated porous materials such as ceiling tiles, drywall, particle board, & wood by-products. Obviously leave the studs/sill plates, these can be dried & cleaned. The sooner we dry these building materials, the better! Saturated drywall SHOULD NOT be dried in our opinion, and insulation should be gutted out and replaced later.
Kitchen/bathroom cabinetry is said to be able to be salvaged after particular water events. This varies. Water restoration crews might attempt to dry under cabinetry, as they will also attempt to pull moisture up from under hardwood flooring. We have seen multiple videos of borescope camera evidence of mold growth under cabinetry, weeks out from being professionally dried from flooding. Remove cabinet/vanity toe kicks and make attempts to dry underneath if there is minimal damage. The removal of water damaged cabinetry from extreme flooding is suggested. Wet drywall will most likely be behind it. With flooring, the microbial growth which will possibly lurk under your dried top flooring later is a discomforting feeling many of us do not want to encounter down the road... Weighing risk is suggested when making decisions on these matters.
(At your own risk) If drywall/wallboard is soaked, use a utility knife/drywall handsaw (be careful of electrical wiring) to remove & cut out saturated areas a minimum of 1 ft. above water line, but preferably we would recommend to go out 2 ft. beyond the water mark and discard. The straighter the cuts, the easier for build back later. Pull out and discard insulation and work on drying all wooden substrate behind. We strongly suggest no build backs until ALL wood has been dried back (and cleaned then disinfected) to its natural moisture content. 16% & up moisture content of wood can support fungal growth.
Drain out standing water located in any walls by removing baseboard and drilling holes near floor. Here’s a link with pictures to explain.
Dry wood panel-type walls by pulling the bottom edge out from studs.

Cleaning, Disinfecting & Wipe Down

Any non-porous surfaces that have been contaminated with organic matter, unsanitary water from pipes, etc., should be wiped down with a microfiber cloth & dish soap to clean the area and prevent microbial growth. Antimicrobials (liquid, not fogging) are to be used heavily after catastrophic flooding, due to the highly pathogenic bacteria in the water.
Cleaning and disinfecting are TWO separate steps that provide two separate purposes/outcomes.
CLEANING SURFACES: Cleaning is the process of removing dirt and/or microbial growth from a surface.
BLEACH IS A PESTICIDE/WHITING AGENT, NOT A CLEANER! It will not eliminate mold or prevent it.
Use cleaning products like Dawn dish soap or Seventh generation. You need a detergent that is most effective at separating dirt from an item or building material.
Antimicrobials/Disinfectants are not effective when a surface is dirty. Clean first, then disinfect. Benefect Decon 30 is a EPA approved antimicrobial.
Antimicrobials/Disinfectants are primarily recommended for use on nonporous surfaces (such as countertops, bathtubs, table tops, glass, metal, showers, and sinks).

Other Essential Tools & Materials:

Large construction/contractor bags for protecting any possessions, and removing debris
Tarps and/or 2 to 4 millimeter Industrial Plastic Rolls
Rubber mallet (ice events)
Duct tape, hammer, nails to prop up tarps/plastic
A squeegee floor mop to push water out of carpets, flooring and pooled spaces out of your home
Industrial Mop and bucket to get the water up
Fans/Air Movers/space heaters, blow dryers etc. to dry areas ASAP
Dehumidifiers
Respirators
PPE - Boots, Gloves, Tyvek Suits, goggles, etc.
Utility knives with extra blades to immediately remove wet carpet and padding
Bricks, wooden blocks, sawhorses to elevate your furniture
Ladder(s)
Rope for hanging items to dry
Moisture Meter
Hygrometer (45 to 50 RH is our suggested goal for successful drying, air movement & dehumidification is the key)

Resource Links:

Mold Specific Mitigation Products

Snow Storms, Ice Dams & Freezing Pipes

If you are still in danger of ceiling collapse, or cave-ins & freezing pipe bursts, here are some handy tips to help mitigate & be proactive to protect your home.

Find where your water shut off valve is incase any pipes burst. Video link up top.
Drip your faucets on cold or hot water very slowly to keep your pipes warm (if you are able). Be careful once water turns back on, if your pipes are frozen, that big surge of water can burst pipes under your home. Take it nice and slow, dripping warm water for up to 4 plus hours to help melt the expanded ice inside of all of your plumbing. (Let it drip before you let it rip)
If at risk, move valuable possessions into the corner areas of your home. Ceilings in the center of the room usually collapse first. Corners in basements will typically start water intrusion first.
Find the strong points in your living space pertaining to your best judgment of your ceiling and roofing design to move/protect your furniture and possessions. Take notice of your roof from outside, visually inspecting, looking for higher accumulated areas of snow drifts and weak spots.
Move items away from bathrooms, near kitchens, or anywhere you may know close to your pipes/water heaters.
Get everything OFF of the floor & eliminate clutter. The less you have on the floor now, the more likely your items may be able to be salvaged in some cases.
Put any dry porous items of great sentiment in plastic sealed bags.
Be ready to elevate furniture with cinder blocks, bricks, wood blocks, sawhorses, etc.
Make sure your gutters are clear. Be extra careful if the pros can’t get out there in time. Areas where water will be moving once the snow begins to melt are at the most risk. The faster your roof can clear water, the fewer problems you will have. Use a rake, ice rake, snow shovel etc. to get any existing snow off your roof you can reach.
1. Do not climb on your roof. If your gutters are iced up, throw ice melt into them to open them up. Yes, some ice melt can be corrosive to the aluminum of your gutters, but it’s better to replace your gutters later than have a water damaged roof now. Another option for ice dams is to cut nylons at 3 foot length and fill each one with ice melt and tie them off. Safely use a ladder to place each filled nylon across the top of the ice dam, placing each filled nylon 3 feet apart allowing channels for water to run off. Safely use a rubber mallet to lightly bang out any ice and ice dams on the edging of your roof above your gutter as another step. Leaving ice dams on the edge of your roofing can cause any melting ice above them to trickle down and be forced to have to leak backwards under your shingles causing water intrusion. It is vital to not let water saturate into your roofing due to ice dams and faulty gutters. Iced up soffit and frozen gutters are a clear sign you might have ice dams on your roof edges. Always remember, ice dams are created from the warm air rising inside of your home, counteracting with the cold air outside, thus creating a line of ice around the perimeter of the top of your roof where your eaves/overhangs begin. The less heat you use in your home, the less prone you are to creating ice dams. Obviously no heat is bad for your plumbing, it’s best to keep heat low, wrap up warm, and open all sink cabinet doors to help them retain warmth.
2. Gutter extensions are advised to connect at the end of your gutters full time. The key is to get the water to always pour away from your home, not sink close to the foundation of your house, or into your roof from clogged gutters.
In cold weather: If your power is still out, hang up black blankets over sunny windows to draw in heat. Placing them on the floor in front of a sunny window can create warmth also. Also confine your whole family into one small safe room to take advantage of combined body temperature to help with the cold temperatures. Hang blankets up to make tents with hooks, rope, nails etc. This will also bring comfort to your kids, for they are most likely familiar to playing under blanket tents. Lay blankets on the floor also to stop cold air coming up. Towels on your window sills are advised also. Unplug everything, except one lamp to tell you when the power has turned back on. A power surge can destroy appliances sometimes when the power is turned back on.

Do’s & Don’ts

Do not handle or expose bare skin to contaminated water without PPE or gloves/mask.
Do not use a regular vacuum cleaner to clean up water damage. Only use a shop vac/wet vac made specifically to clean water damage.
Be extra careful when it comes to electricity, since we are especially dealing with water. Call a professional for any uncertainties.
Do not turn on ceiling fans, ceiling lights, or fixtures if your ceiling is wet. Tape the switch so it cannot be flipped (especially if you have children).
Do use extreme caution or keep out of areas where floors, walls or ceilings are sagging from retained water.
Do make sure to raise furniture so it is not sitting in water. Use thick aluminum foil or bricks/cinder blocks under furniture legs.
Do not hire contractors who primarily recommend “treating”, “fogging” or spraying biocides, antimicrobials or chemicals instead of mold removal as the way to clean up. Moldy materials must be removed from the building. If you need support with this consider working work with us.
Pour a bucket of water (or melted snow) into toilets to flush them to reuse them.

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We hope this helps you in some way, you are all in our thoughts and prayers!

PJ & Peter Harlow