Flood Safety Clean Up Tips for Boston Area Residents
The incredibly powerful early spring rainstorm that swept across the eastern portion of the United States last week left the Boston area especially hard hit. Local residents reported that most could not recall any storm in recent history that packed as strong a punch as this mighty Nor’easterner did. High gusting winds and pounding rains relentlessly battered the area for several days, causing widespread damage to roads, railway tracks, city streets, businesses and homes. Americans were glued to their television sets as they watched vehicles being swept down city streets, people wading and sometimes swimming to safety and the sight of area residents using boats to survey the damage.
Thankfully the storm has moved out to sea, but now residents are forced with the daunting task of returning home to see what is left of their homes. Many are faced with standing flood water inside their houses. Some homeowners in Quincy returned home after being evacuated to find that their furniture, computers and personal items were floating in up to seven feet of filthy, dirty water. Some unfortunate city residents are left facing tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage. It was a surreal scene with lifeboats making their way up the streets carrying local residents returning home to salvage what little was left untouched by the ravaging floodwater.
If you are one of the tens of thousand residents affected in the Boston area, be sure to exercise extreme caution when returning to your home. Be sure that the utility companies have given your area the ‘all clear’ to ensure you won’t be injured by downed power lines and/or gas leaks. The first thing that should be done is to contact your insurance company so that a representative can come out and make an assessment. Take care not to turn on the electricity inside your home. If you have access to a sump pump, great! Get all of the standing water out. Set your major appliances up on blocks, remove water soaked carpeting, food and personal items. Not everything can be saved unfortunately, and the general rule is: when in doubt-throw it out’. Flood waters often consist of raw sewage and harmful chemicals so it is better to be safe than sorry.
If the task is too enormous for you to handle, then get in touch quickly with a flood cleanup company. Remember that the clock is ticking and harmful mold and mildew only needs a couple of days to start growing and spreading-which will create even further problems for you. The Boston area is home to numerous flood remediation companies, so if the lines are busy at one, keeping calling down through your list until you get an answer. These professionals will arrive quickly with the heavy-duty equipment necessary to remove the standing water from your home and to dry it out completely.
