What to do if your house floods: NPR

Heavy rainfall from Hurricane Helene caused record flooding and damage in Asheville, North Carolina.

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Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images/Getty Images North America

The biggest threat in a hurricane is not the wind, but the water. From the mountains of western North Carolina to the coast of Florida, communities were inundated by torrential rains and flooding from Hurricane Helene.

Hurricane season still lasts two months. It helps to know that flooding due to heavy rain can occur almost anytime and anywhere. because climate change is making heavy rain showers more common.

As the water recedes, the long, slow recovery process begins. Here’s what you need to know to prepare for flooding and how to start picking up the pieces when the water is gone.

My house flooded. What should I do first?

The Federal Agency for Emergency Management says the first thing you should do Things like damaged power and gas lines and cracks in the foundation are checked to make sure it’s safe to enter.

If this is the case and there is no standing water in the house, go to the circuit breaker and turn off the electricity. If you smell natural gas or propane, or hear a hissing sound, FEMA says to contact the fire department immediately. And make sure there is distance between you and the house.

Then you want to check how high the water has risen. If the light goes above the electrical outlets in your home, you should call an electrician to make sure the system is safe to use, says Brad Hubbard, president of the engineering firm National Flood Experts.

“Obviously you don’t want to bring electricity into a wet situation,” Hubbard says.

What if I can’t evacuate and am stuck on the top floor of my house? Should I wade through the water to get out or wait for help?

Flood water is dangerous. It can electrocute you and often contains debris, sewage and toxic chemicals. So if you can wait for the water to recede or for help to arrive, that’s your best bet, says Jennifer Horney, a professor at the University of Delaware who studies the public health impact of disasters.

If you must enter a flooded area, Horney says you should take precautions such as wearing sturdy shoes to protect your feet and prevent open wounds from coming into contact with the water.

“People die in storms all the time because they take risks that aren’t necessary,” Hubbard says. “If you’re trying to save someone, go for it. If you’re trying to save your car or a piece of property, it’s not worth it.”

Janice Whitley wipes her face as she searches for valuables from her 93-year-old mother’s bedroom in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Old Fort, North Carolina.

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It’s safe to go back to my house. What now?

Use your cell phone to take lots of photos of the exterior and interior of your home. You document the damage and try to show how high the water has become. That’s important for filing an insurance claim or applying for federal assistance. The more photos, the better, Hubbard says.

If you have flood insurance, file a claim as soon as possible. “Make sure your name is on the list,” says Hubbard. “There are tens of thousands of people dealing with this right now, and (insurers are) just going to go down the list. So the sooner you get on the list, the sooner this will all be resolved for you.”

Then you need to dry your house as quickly as possible. That means ripping up carpets, removing furniture and cutting out drywall starting a foot above the waterline.

Keep in mind that after disasters there is a shortage of electricians, contractors and other people to help with recovery. Hubbard says to be patient with them. “We all live in the areas we serve,” he says, “and that means when a storm hits, the people trying to help you are also dealing with their own problems.”

And next time?

If possible, take precautions in advance. Photograph your home, belongings and valuables before extreme weather occurs so you can use them for insurance claims. If there is a risk of flooding, place valuables on the kitchen counter or on a second floor if you have one. You can also place important items in a dishwasher, which is waterproof, Hubbard says.

Preparation also includes taking stock of the risks you will face. Only about 4% of homeowners nationwide have flood insurance. When disasters like Helene’s happen, people without flood insurance often have to cover the costs themselves. which can have profound consequences.

“This will be a material financial event for them and could change the course of their lives,” said Matthew Eby, CEO of First Street, which models climate risk.

You can go to FirstStreet.orgenter your address and see what risks your property faces. “You can discover that I am indeed at risk of flooding and I may not have known it yet,” says Eby, “and I can see what solutions are possible.”