What to do after your home floods?

Contact Your Insurance Company

When your home floods you must notify your insurer (insurance company or agent) to start a claim. You will need your policy number along with a phone number you can be reached at.

Separate damaged from undamaged property. Make sure you have boxes for breakable goods and garbage bags for clothing that can be saved. Be sure to remove anything of value as soon as possible so there is no possibility of theft.

Your insurance adjuster will need evidence of the damage to your home and property items to prepare your repair estimate.

What if you don’t have flood insurance?

If you were affected by the Louisiana flood you may be able to get FEMA assistance. Homeowners can register for disaster assistance  by calling 1-800-621-3362. You are encouraged to complete an application for disaster assistance, even if your parish has not yet been federally declared for Individual Assistance.

Major Disaster Declaration declared on August 14, 2016

Designated parishes: Acadia Parish, Ascension Parish, Avoyelles Parish, East Baton Rouge Parish, East Feliciana Parish, Evangeline Parish, Iberia Parish, Iberville Parish, Jefferson Davis Parish, Lafayette Parish, Livingston Parish, Pointe Coupee Parish, St. Helena Parish, St. Landry Parish, St. Martin Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Tangipahoa Parish, Vermilion Parish, Washington Parish and West Feliciana Parish. Please visit disasterassistance.gov to apply for assistance. Don’t wait to get work done! To prevent mold from spreading you need to have anything wet removed from your house immediately. Buildpro offers 18 month financing so you don’t have to worry about getting work done while you wait for you FEMA assistance.

Take Photos &  Videos of ALL Damaged Property

This includes discarded objects, structural damage, and standing floodwater levels. You must take time stamped photos. You also should video all of the damage but do not talk during this video.

Make a list of damaged or lost items and include their date of purchase, value, and any receipts you may have.

Helpful Tips for Louisiana Flood Victims

Here are some great tips from the LSU AgCenter:

• Wear protective clothing. Cover your mouth, legs, arms, feet and hands while cleaning debris. Wear rubbers gloves and goggles.
• Use disinfectants carefully. Create a bleach solution using ¼ to ½ cup of liquid chlorine laundry bleach to one gallon of water. While this mixture is an economical general purpose disinfectant, it can damage the finishes of some furniture and fixtures.
• Remove wet carpets, rugs and carpet pads. Within 24 hours of floodwaters receding, remove types of flooring that absorb water. Disinfect the slab with the bleach mixture. Some valuable rugs may be cleaned, but always replace carpet pads.
• Pull up vinyl and laminate floors on top of wooden subfloors. Remove these impermeable types of flooring and clean and disinfect the wooden subfloor. For wooden floors, remove a board every few feet to reduce buckling until the floor dries. Some buckled floors will flatten once they dry.
• Pull out wet insulation. Even if you have to cut into your wall, remove wet insulation from the walls and the attic. “Saturated insulation will hold water, even if the wall looks dry, and eventually cause wood rot and mold problems,” according to the AgCenter.

Buildpro understands the devastation that Baton Rouge area home owners are facing during the 2016 flooding. We are dedicated in providing renovation services in the local area to get homeowners back on their feet. If you are in need of our services please give us a call at (225) 412-0031