Serving Greater Cincinnati: Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana
Menu
Floods Create HazardsOf course water damage cleanup is needed after a flood in Cincinnati. Once the immediate dangers of a flood have passed, you are not yet out of the woods. In this article, we’ll look at six hazardous situations to look out for after a flood. There are many potential long-term hazards caused by a flood that can put your health in serious jeopardy.
Here are six of these dangers our water damage restoration professionals at ICON Property Rescue commonly encounter.
When water isn’t properly removed and dried after a flood, the inevitable result is mold growth. Mold can lead to long-term health and safety hazards in your home. This happens as mold releases dangerous toxins and spores into the air. While breathing these in is not too dangerous for most people, it can cause serious health problems for those with weakened immune systems.
Black water is floodwater that contains raw sewage. It is extremely toxic and can cause serious health problems and even death if not handled properly. If your home is flooded with black water, you should NOT try to clean it up. This is a job for professional water damage restoration technicians with the experience and equipment necessary to safely repair the damage and clean your home.
After the floodwater is gone, there can still be other invisible dangers. For example, the wiring in your walls can be damaged if exposed to moisture. Even if it seems like everything is dry, it can still be damp inside the walls. Since water is an excellent conductor of electricity, even a small amount of water touching damaged wiring can be dangerous. In addition, moisture can degrade wiring insulation, which increases the risk of an electrical fire in the future. That’s why it’s important to keep the power disconnected after a flood until an electrician or some other professional can analyze the damaged wiring and replace it.
The appliances in your home use large amounts of water every day. Even a small malfunction in any one of them can lead to a serious water damage disaster. Make sure you check the manuals for these appliances so you know what maintenance is necessary or when you may need to replace them.
A damaged gas line is not something to take lightly. A flood can cause the gas lines in your home to rupture putting you and your family in serious danger. Make sure that your gas lines are inspected after a major flood to ensure that this did not happen in your home.
All kinds of undesirable bugs and pests are attracted to the high moisture levels in a flooded home. These bugs can be carriers of dangerous diseases so they are the last thing you want in your home.
All in all, there are many different ways that flood damage can threaten your safety after the initial flooding event. We at ICON Property Rescue are here to help you safely make it through the restoration process. Give us a call if your home is ever affected by a flood.
