The CNN’s Money Magazine has ranked Irvine as the best place to live in Southern California, because of its strong economy, fantastic schools and vast green areas. The residents of Irvine are proud of their community and enjoy living there. However, there is one potential downside to Irvine – it’s rather close to Los Angeles. This is primarily an advantage actually, except when it comes to LA’s propensity for natural disasters.
Los Angeles is one of the top 10 world cities given to natural disasters like earthquakes, fires and coastal floods. The ranking list was made by a global reinsurance company Swiss Re and it measured “the number of people potentially affected by natural disasters” (hopefully, potentially is the operative word here).
With El Ninho on the way, here are some things you should now about flash floods and how to respond to them and the damage they create.
Responding to a flash flood
Flash floods come and go, but the restoration of the chaos they leave behind isn’t that quick. Immediately after a flash flood you must stay tuned in to the latest news and focus especially on the news regarding drinking water and safety.
- Don’t drink or use water until for any purposes it’s been announced it’s safe to use. If your water heater hasn’t been damaged, you can use that water, or if you have any old ice cubes that you can melt.
If really necessary, you can boil water or add some bleach to it – 1/8 of tsp. or 8 drops of regular household bleach should kill the majority of bacteria (water should sit like that for 30 minutes before use).
- Avoid flooded areas and try not to travel unless you really must. If you must go out, exercise extreme caution and use a stick to gauge the depth of water and the stability of the ground. Absolutely avoid entering buildings in flood-ravaged areas, as you cannot be sure whether the foundation has suffered major damages.
- Be careful with appliances and turn them off immediately if you notice sparks or frayed wires or if you smell burning. If you can hear a hissing noise and you smell gas, leave the area immediately and inform the fire department.
Homes after flash floods
Once the water has receded, the best and wisest thing to do is contact a professional emergency service. Professionals know best what to do in those situations and they have the proper equipment.
If your basement has been flooded, the water should be drained gradually so as to avoid or minimize structural damage.
The area should be disinfected and the objects that have come in contact with flood water should be inspected – some of them will be salvageable, but a lot of them should be thrown out. All objects made of porous materials are particularly sensitive and general guidelines say they should be thrown out (objects like rugs and carpets, books etc). All the other objects that can be saved should be disinfected if they came in contact with flood waters. It’s extremely important to wear personal protective equipment (PPE).
All food items that were in contact with flood water should be disposed of. If you are in doubt, don’t hesitate to throw it away!
Call your insurance agency to ask about flood damage coverage. If applicable, call them beforehand (when you know a storm is on the way).
Be especially wary of “drive-by” contractors and make a point of hiring a reputable and trustworthy emergency company in your area. There are many con artists out there that will take your money and leave the problems of water damage restoration basically unsolved.
Water damage restoration Irvine
Emergency Home Solutions is a reliable and reputable contractor serving the area of Orange County. If you need water damage restoration in Irvine or anywhere else in Orange County, make sure you contact Emergency Home Solutions. Our experienced and skillful technicians are always ready to respond to any emergency you might have at home promptly and professionally. We are always here for you – call us and find out how we stand out from the rest!