Although you may worry most about damage, there are actually several impacts of flooding. From the effects of flooding to what kind of damage can a flood cause to your home, our guide to the impacts of flooding will help you prepare and keep you safe.
What Are the Effects of Floods?
Aside from damage to your home, there are two other important impacts of flooding.
1. Flood Damage
The most common effect of flooding is damage to your home. Basements and crawl spaces are often the first places to face damage during flooding. However, floods can damage any part of your home. Depending on the situation, flooding may also cause sewage backups. A sewer backup also increases the risks to your family and pets.
2. Loss of Life
While not a pleasant through, flooding can also take lives. For this reason, you should avoid sleeping below ground during severe storms. Also, make sure you stay awake if a flood alert is issued. You should also never walk or drive through a flood, even if it looks safe. If you are in a car during a flood, pull over and wait for the storm to pass.
3. Soil Erosion
One of the environmental effects of flooding is soil erosion. Since they saturate the soil, floods will carry away loose dirt. This is especially dangerous if it washes away the soil around your foundation. Not only can this cause flooding, but your home could even shift or become unstable. In some cases, a flood can even cause a sinkhole and mudslide.
What Kind of Damage Can a Flood Cause To Your Home?
Since water is a natural solvent, a flood can damage anything in your home. The longer your home is flooded, the more likely it is to cause damage. Here are some of the ways that floods will damage your home:
- Ruin personal items and electronics
- Short out electrical outlets and wiring
- Damage or even destroy walls, flooring and cabinets
- Stain clothing and linens
- Damage your appliances or heating and cooling systems
The best way to limit damage in your home is to clean up a flood as soon as possible. Whether you do the work yourself or hire a flood damage cleanup company, it’s important to remove the water and repair the damage right away.
How Long Does It Take a Flood To Damage Your Home?
A flood will start to damage your home right away, but more severe damage takes several hours. For example, floods will ruin paper items and electronics in just a few minutes.
Floods will damage carpeting, walls and cabinets in just a few hours and can completely ruin them in less than a day. Mold may appear in as little as a day or two, however, it can grow sooner if there is a sewage backup as well.
In as little as a week, floodwaters can ruin wall studs and floor joists. Since they hold up your home, the only option is to replace them.
Limit the effects of flooding and get emergency clean-up now. Call 1-888-443-3110 now for a free estimate from our on-call specialist near you. They offer safe, reliable water damage restoration and sewage cleanup services to restore your home after a flood.
