RAYNEAU’S TIPS ON HOW TO PROCEED AFTER THE FLOOD

Corinth residents returning to flood-damaged homes in the wake of the November 6, 2022 trough – and many people in the North of the island – have a long road ahead of them.

Here, Rayneau offers tips to homeowners on how to proceed once the waters recede. We’ve also included advice from the National Emergency Management Organization,  and the Red Cross.

First, don’t get overanxious. Your house needs time to dry out. Realize that the process of demolition and rebuilding will take time — months, even years — so settle in for a long haul. It can be stressful, so try to prepare for it and seek help or counseling if needed.

Document everything with photos and video for an insurance claim. Within two to three days of water receding, you should return to your home to remove everything that was touched by water.

Most homeowners will tackle the initial stages of clearing out water-soaked furniture, appliances, and carpet, as well as removing drywall. This is a pretty straightforward task, easy enough for the average homeowner.

NEMO and the Red Cross agree that people can do a lot of the cleanup and repairs themselves, but advise people to seek professional help if they don’t feel comfortable with it.

Get personal protective equipment, such as rubber boots, gloves, and clothes. 

We advise that you protect yourself first with the proper gear, especially for your lungs. Flood water is nasty stuff, containing hazardous chemicals and raw sewage, the residue of which gets left behind after the water recedes. Not to mention the dust and mold spores in the air. So play it safe and protect your lungs. We recommend an N95 mask.

Cut off power, and water. 

Before entering your home, be sure to turn off the water and electricity. Ministry of Housing also recommends assessing your home’s structural integrity before entering and getting a professional inspection if you’re unsure.

If the waterline was above the electrical outlets, we recommend having an electrician come out as a precaution to make sure everything is OK. But nine times out of 10 there won’t be any problems to the mechanical components in a house after a flood. The vast majority of the damage will be to the materials.

Remove everything. 

Take everything that was touched by water out of your house. Set any solid wood furniture out to dry, as well as family photos, but toss everything else. Rip out the carpet and carpet pads.

Don’t forget hidden spaces. 

Be sure to check drawers and other areas of your home for standing water. There may be water trapped at the base of your kitchen cabinets behind the toe kick. If you have a kitchen island, you may have water trapped in the base as well.

Interior doors can likely be saved too. Take the doors off their hinge pins, and stack them outside, lying flat with space between them for airflow. If they stand upright, they are likely to warp. Put a fan on them to facilitate the drying process.

Clean and disinfect. 

Get a broom and a shop vac and really clean everything out - even hosing down the solid surfaces — studs and slab — with clean water. This can help wash away bacteria.

Once everything is relatively dry, you’ll need to use something to kill the bacteria. We recommend DampRid as a good option, but you should wear a mask, gloves, and goggles when using it.

Rayneau also recommends creating a bleach solution of half a cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water and using a pump sprayer to spray everything but metal in a fine mist. Bleach will corrode metal, so avoid spraying things like electrical outlets and cabinet hardware.

Ventilate and dry. 

Be patient. We caution against people trying to rebuild before the house is completely dry. At a minimum, unless you’re working with a professional restoration company, you’re looking at two to four weeks before your house is dry enough to rebuild. On dry days, open all the doors and windows.

If you plan to stay in your house for the foreseeable future, know that it will likely flood again someday. We recommend that as you begin to rebuild, it’s time to introduce flood-proofing materials and practices and buy flood insurance.

Visit our hardware stores conveniently located in Corinth 450-7247, Vide Bouteille 450-7246, Monchy 450-7248, or Babonneau 450-5759. We are well-stocked to handle all your requests for materials/advice to get your home back in shape after this devastating flood. Check out our website here!