Things to check for in the Wake of a Natural Disaster

2/8/2023 (Permalink)

After a natural disaster strikes, it's important to stay safe and assess the damage. If a flood or natural disaster has damaged your home or property, there are a few things you should do right away. Assess the damage and call a restoration company immediately to help reduce cost and secondary damages.

Check for Damage to your Home

First thing you want to check is structural damage. If you notice that your home has sustained any damage, make sure to call a restoration company immediately. The sooner you discover the issue, the better it will be to mitigate any further damage and receive compensation for repairs.

Check for gas leaks. In the wake of a natural disaster, there is a chance that gas lines could have been damaged or severed by falling trees or other debris. If this happens to be the case in your home, turn off all appliances that use natural gas immediately and contact local authorities before attempting to repair them yourself as they may still be live with leaking fuels inside them.

Exterior of Home

Check the exterior of your home. Make sure doors and windows are still secure after heavy winds have passed through the area. This is important to ensure intruders can do access the property if needs to be left unattended.

Look around your house for signs of water damage. Check electrical outlets and power strips for sparks (an indicator of a possible electrical fault). Assess whether there is any flooding in basements or crawlspaces if possible. Check drains/sewers for blockages, to ensure there is no water backing up into your home. Look around foundation, it's common after major flooding events like hurricanes that flood waters can enter your home through ground level windows and doors.

Have a Emergency Plan

In case of emergency, ensure your family knows the emergency preparedness plan incase you have to evaluate the property. Have a safe spot to meet within the property, and if in need of emergency call 911 to ensure quick response to recover all persons.

Check the safety of Food and Water

If your home is damaged and you have been gone for an extended amount of time, it is important to check your safety of the food and water left behind. Check the expiration date on your food, temperature of your refrigerator and freezer, temperature of your water heater before using again and check the drinking water before consuming.

It’s important to look out for these things after a storm, so that you can take care of any issues right away. The more damage you find now, the less you’ll have to deal with later on when everything resumes normal operations. Give the professionals at SERVPRO of North Fort Myers a call at the first sign of water damage after a storm or natural disaster.