Flood damage restoration costs can be very high, but they still are much cheaper than replacing your items. When you have a flood, you will need to act quickly to minimize the damage to your belongings and home or business.

To begin the process for your flood recovery:

Contact your insurance agent. They will help to get the ball rolling. They may have a preapproved flood cleanup crew that you will need to use. Contact a licensed flood damage restoration expert. Make sure they are able to come to you quickly to begin the water clean up. Mold can begin to grow in as little as 24 hours. Remove all of your flood damaged possessions outside or to the garage but don’t get rid of them until an insurance adjustor can verify your losses for your insurance claim. Rescue your water damaged photographs, books, videos and important documents. Removing all wet items from the area will also help quicken the drying process, since they will add a lot of moisture to the air. Document the damage in each spot. Write down what you see and take photographs. This will help with your insurance claim. Use a sump pump and/or wet vac to remove any pooled water. Throw out any rotten food. Dispose of wet carpet padding, this is usually unsalvageable. Clean and dry carpet, bedding, clothing and furniture. Dry legs of furniture with a clean white cloth. Place them on saucers or wood blocks to keep off of wet surface. Pull back wet carpet and padding from the walls and baseboards to help keep the walls dry. Open windows for cross ventilation.

Once you have a flood damage restoration professional in your home or business, stay up to date with what is going on. Make sure that everything is properly cleaned and sanitized. Mold will begin to form quickly and can complicate the water clean up process.