Dealing with flooding caused by a hurricane or tropical storm is not easy, especially in a city such as Houston that has faced many such events over the past few years.
If your home flooded during Imelda, you may be asking yourself what to do next. Even though it may feel overwhelming, you have several options to consider: you can either renovate your home, sell through a realtor, or sell your home for cash as-is. Whatever you decide, here is a guideline on some of the steps you can take:
- File an insurance claim: Do you have flood insurance? If you do, file a claim immediately. If you don’t have flood insurance, but you do have a homeowner’s policy, you can usually file a claim for damage that was not caused by rising water, such as damage caused by falling trees, etc.
- Obtain a Flood Inspection: An inspector specializing in flood damage can come to the home and evaluate the damage. If the home was severely flooded, and there could be structural damage, an inspector can make sure it is safe to enter.
- Assess the Damage: Get an estimate on the cost of repairs. This will help you can decide if repairing the home is the right choice for you, or if you should instead sell the home as-is. If you decide to repair the home, the following steps are usually required:
- Turn off Utilities: For safety reasons, it may be necessary to turn off gas, water, and electric power to the home.
- Remove Interior Debris: Remove all flood-affected items from the home, separating the items/appliances that can be repaired from those that cannot. Look to local guidelines for how to dispose of items you decide to trash.
- Clean/Muck Out: Remove mud, muck, and silt that was left in the home by floodwaters.
- Treat Mold: Depending on the extent of the flooding, mold may be present in the home, and if so, needs to be removed through proper treatment processes.
- Gut Home: Drywall (2 feet above the flood water level) must now either be dried, or more commonly, be removed from the home. Even if the property was only flooded a few inches, this step must be completed. Damaged flooring must also be removed, as well as damaged electrical wiring.
- Sanitize: Use a pressure washer and a mixture of detergent and water to sanitize the home. Make sure to thoroughly dry once this step is completed.
- Replace and Remodel: Any removed flooring, sheetrock, etc. can now be replaced. This step may take longer than you plan for and finding contractors could be difficult.
How We Can Help
Fit Acquisitions has experience dealing with flooded homes from Harvey, as well as the Tax Day and Memorial Day floods, among others. Our team understands what an extensive undertaking it can be to repair a home damaged by flooding. Please contact us if you would like more information or recommendations on how to handle a flooded home. Also, if you decide to sell your property we buy flooded homes in Houston, Beaumont, and the surrounding areas. Contact us today, so we can help you move forward with your decision.
Contact us today for more information!
713-999-0124
*A note on FEMA Assistance: As of September 24, 2019, FEMA assistance is not available for those who suffered flooding from Imelda. Although FEMA was available for flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey, it is not yet clear if this assistance will be available for flooding caused by Imelda.