What to Do After a Hurricane or Flood

Renaissance Kitchen and Home Thanks for posting this article.
First may I offer my condolences to everyone who has been affected by Hurricane Sandy. I wish all of you safety and luck in getting your lives back to normal.

Everyone should be aware of what to do in this time of crisis. This informative article offers great points that most of us overlook.

On a personal note: please be aware of disingenuous construction or insurance firms looking to take advantage. They prey on the weak in times of crisis. Make sure you get references from these firms and check them out thoroughly.

I would like to offer my professional services to any local families who need our help.
We will and always have been there for our friends, clients and customers.

If anyone needs assistance in procuring material or a contractor referral- please call our office or email through our website at www.InteriorTrend.com.

Best of Luck
Torry Manzo
Renaissance Kitchen & Home

Anita Roll Murals My heart also goes out to all of the families going through incredibly difficult times due to Hurricane Sandy. Great advice Bud!

olldbobbi I feel for everyone who was in the path of Sandy, especially those without power. Having no power has to be the hardest thing because everything else you do depends on it. May God bless.

Francesca I actually am about to buy a house that was flooded in the 1930s. That was a 500 year flood but its enough to tell me that I will want flood insurance. But this is good advice for the Midwest as severe weather there often causes damage.

armles As a victim of a fire in our business & owner of the premises, I know it is hard to know where to start the recovery & cleanup. More importantly, how to deal with the insurance assessor. My advice would be: record it all by photographing everything, however insignificant, & write it all down daily. Stick to your guns,make sure it s the truth, and work with the assessor. Don't accuse him of not looking after you, remember he is being paid by the insurance company but he wants the truth. Stick it out down a hard straight road & hopefully you will get a fair result.

olldroo I cannot begin to comprehend what the victims of Sandy are going though, but the stress would be huge and wrong decisions could easily be made. This is great simple advice Bud, I just hope the people needing it have ready access to it and obviously when a storm warning is issued it is important to ensure camera batteries are fully charged and even have a spare battery on hand. My thoughts are with you all.

appytrails As someone who took on the rebuilding of my daughter's home that suffered 5 feet of water during Irene (She had just moved into her new home, so most of her things were out..many blessings all around ) my healing thoughts (and money via the Red Cross) go to the current victims of Sandy. Day by day, things do improve.....

vera1119 I live in Little Ferry and the entire first floor of my home was completely devasted by Sandy. Everything was lost! Sandy destroyed furniture, walls, furnace, appliances, tools, windows, doors, cars, outside decks everything in her path! I now have to rebuild and I didn't know where to begin? Thank you for posting this article....it made my day!

olldbobbi vera1119, I am so sorry about your home, I can't even begin to imagine how you feel. When you're up to it, make two lists - one for the features in your home that you loved and one for the features you didn't. When you rebuild, keep these items in mind and you will hopefully have a perfect new home.

dawnrr bleach is not a long term solution to mold spores. check out moldstat.

Mary Kozma I offer my condolences to everyone who has been affected by Hurricane Sandy! I live in Florida, so we are familiar with Hurricanes. BUT as this article mentions, the weather is changing, and there is no way to know where or when severe weather will strike.

I lived near the coast at one time in the NE and had 6' of water in our basement from the surf serge at high tide. We lost everything in the finished basement that had a bedroom and den, we had a wood-burning stove in the den, so the top of the water was black with soot and charcoal from the stove. This article mentions using fans... with no electricity, it is hard to dry out a flooded area, especially if the weather is cold outside. We used a sump pump once electricity was restored. But putting a 'plugged' in fan on wet floors is not a good idea, you must mount electrical items up off wet surfaces. We followed similar to the list given here for saving as much as you can of the structure, we took off some sheet rock to check the studs. This is not an easy task especially when one is tired, and in shock from the loss.

It takes enormous strength to survive you home being devastated without much warning. But it can get better and we (us humans are resourceful) can overcome and move on.

One thing that always surprises me is the 'people' having to build better. As a retired designer and my husband used to build houses... is that local building codes should be enforced and building new should have those codes enforced as to how to build for that area. In Virginia, the lost homes on the Chesapeake Bay shores had to rebuild on stilts and raise the living quarters above a certain level.

Bleach is not a long term mold killer (kills on the surface only) Products like Jomax or others like this created for this purpose should be used (ventilate and let dry completely before living in or staying in that environment) Read directions carefully!
There was mold growing on the sheetrock of the garages of brand new homes (after a storm in Virginia, interior walls were stripped and redone) and professionals came in to treat properly and then inspections were done to insure the mold was gone.

Be~Leaf Design, llc My heart goes out to you! In my experience in flood cleanup as a volunteer for our church, I found myself sick after using bleach....Here's what I found to help:

http://www.lung.org/associations/charters/mid-atlantic/assets/docs/protecting-your-lungs.docx

Good luck, you are in my prayers each day! ~Kristi

KC & CO Bud,
That's a good checklist that many will appreciate. Thanks for taking the time to put together, including many of the safety related points that might not be immediately obvious (or visible) to stressed home owners.
Regards, Col

mcgrathinnola My heart hurts for those in Sandy's path. I do know how they feel. Being from New Orleans, EVERYTHING I owned was destroyed and lost with Katrina....EVERYTHING ...including neighborhoods, people, way of life etc.. Your mind and emotions are all over the place at this time, extremely confused, easily vulnerable. You think it will be impossible to get your life back. But as a strong community positive begins. Stuggle,yes. Difficult, yes. In time, yes. Try and take care of your health and family. Be constant on alert for those who want to take advantage and be vigilant about the needs necessary to get back on your feet....don't settle for "no". God bless and keep you safe...prayers for your recovery.

jjovinn To touch on your second sentence, scientists are in full agreement that climate change is 100% caused by humans. Nature is always in balance, our actions are disrupting that balance. Great article and advice because we will be seeing a lot more of these storms in the future. The building industry and designers will have to consider the impact of these events on our buildings and communities as insurance companies will most likely be changing qualifications for claimants who have not prepared for such storms.

JAN MOYER No matter what happened, be glad to be alive!!! Nothing is more important than your life, and that of your family. The enormity of this storm 100 years ago would have resulted in an unimaginable loss of life, but with technology the coast had almost a week of warning for Sandy. We could argue climate change all day. Human life is short in a climatic sense so we remember the most recent. But through history....( NY Post) some very small comfort on mother nature and her wrath, follows: The lesson of which is I guess, the best preparation and insurance one can afford. I wish all a very speedy recovery and return to normal!!
"Extreme weather events have plagued mankind for all of recorded history. We have records of massive hurricanes striking what’s now New York as far back as the mid-13th century. The New England Hurricane of 1938 killed more than 700 people — 60 in New York alone. Hurricane Edna, in 1954, killed 29 and caused massive damage. Catastrophic hurricanes also hit in 1821 and 1894.

Yes, Sandy was the second tropical storm to impact New York in as many years, after Irene last August. But these storms don’t even start to compare with the frequency of tropical storms that threatened New York in the mid-1950s.

In 1955, two hurricanes — Connie and Diane — struck in the same month, causing significant flooding in the city. And the frequency of tropical storms to make landfall at or near NYC in the 2000s wasn’t as great as in the 1990s.

In New England, category five hurricanes — top of the line on the Saffir-Simpson scale — struck in 1938 (New England Hurricane) and 1960 (Donna). Category four storms struck in 1944 (Great Atlantic Hurricane), 1961 (Esther), 1985 (Gloria) and 1999 (Floyd). Category three storms struck in 1954 (Carol and Edna), 1955 (Diane), 1966 (Alma), 1976 (Belle), 1991 (Bob) and 1996 (Bertha).

On average, a major hurricane made landfall in New England every 3.5 years from 1938 to 1966. Since 1966, it’s been just every 9.2 years — with none since 1999."

dmann3268 Years ago, a city construction crew broke a sewage pipe going into my house, and our basement was semi-flooded with sewage water. We panicked and called a well-known clean-up service. What a mistake. They charged $15,000 for 2 hours of work and loaning us some industrial fans, more than gutting the insurance money. We ended up owing THEM money. If we had to do it again, my husband and I would don masks, buy the cleaning supplies, and do all the cleanup ourselves. We were just overwhelmed by the moment, but realize now that it was just a mess that we could have dealt with ourselves if we had thought it through. Those services both overcharge and take complete advantage of people whose judgment is impaired by crises. This also happened to my sister-in-law whose apartment burned down (everyone was OK). She got ripped off by one of those services (against our advice), ended up broke after they charged more than her insurance check and had to move in with her mother. My advice is to take pics, get your insurance involved. stay in a hotel if you have to, buy everything you need to clean up, and you will have some funds at the end to remodel. I came to regret using the extreme clean up service to my deep regret! Heed my warning!

thomasgeorgetn thanks for the information

Casart Coverings Being from New Orleans, we can sadly commiserate with those affected by Hurricane Sandy, and are sorry for any loss you may have endured. Our thoughts and prayers for patience and perseverance are with you as the road to rebuilding is a long and tough one but it will eventually get done and with improvements. I know this article is primarily what to do immediately after a devastating hurricane but preparing for the next one can be a big part. One simple tip: line your freezer with garbage bags and put all your frozen foods inside, so when the next one hits, you can seal the bag and have a greater chance of salvaging your refrigerator/ freezer from having to be put on the curbside.

backwardsandinheels "While there isn't agreement on the causes of climate change, there does appear to be agreement that climate change is real.."

Climate always changes, we've only been keeping track of it for the last couple of hundred years since the world began. New York had two major hurricanes in the 50's as devastating as Sandy. If you live in the hurricane zone, albeit not the frequent hurricane zone, expect a hurricane in your lifetime. Didn't you hear about the British researchers who were caught altering the data and lying about the results? I would not say there is consensus among scientists, I would say there is consensus among scientists with an agenda and face to save. It would be hard to admit you believed the lie but as persons of science and reason, they should. It's the right thing to do.

I flooded last year and my heart goes out to all of the suffering. I just made a $100 donation to the Red Cross. I wish I could give more.

Leta Thiessen to jjovin:
Scientists are absolutely NOT in 100% agreement that there is climate change - there is an equally large body of evidence to show that our climate is NOT changing globally and much of evidence that states that we are in fact COOLING slightly instead of warming as well. These scientists are not getting on the news, in the newspapers etc because it goes against the popular brainwashing of "climate change" and the pressing need to be green. Remember your history lessons - how many scientists were persecuted because they felt the earth was round not flat as popular culture stated at the time? Make sure you see ALL the facts before you buy into the hype that is being spoon fed to us vis the media.

This fact does not change the lives of those who were affected by this storm and my heart does go out to them.

JAN MOYER Human life is not a fraction of a speck of an atom in geological time.... there have always been storms, always will be storms, and Al Gore has made a bloody fortune far greater than the size of his very outsized carbon footprint peddling otherwise.
It may be fact, that the more concrete we add...... the more the natural sponge for a flood goes away. But wind and water and surge and snow and heat and cold, and bugs and rodents...will always be, and have always been. Sorry. We build near water, we love water...we need water. Sometimes nature overdoes a good thing, or won't spare a drop, ala the dustbowl of the thirties. Makes you realize we are not omnipotent, despite our forgetfulness in that regard.

D D C I Some really good advice has been offered in Bud's article and the comments that followed. I'd like to suggest a few things I've learned to those that will be performing some or most of the clean-up themselves.

Mold is a major concern and will start growing within 48 hours. The rule of thumb is to cut, remove and dispose of all paneling and drywall at least 18" above the highest observed waterline. Discard all carpeting and mattresses that were affected. Then clean the wall framing and flooring substrate (hard tile or concrete) with an approved disinfectant mixture. The CDC formula is (1) cup of bleach added to (1) gallon of water. Use a stiff brush to vigorously clean the surfaces, and let stand for a few hours, before mopping it clean and allowing it to dry. Wear rubber boots, and garden gloves on top of latex gloves.

Check for effluent backing up into the lowest levels of your living spaces. Always wear protective clothing to guard against cuts and scratches when working in these areas. Immediately clean the wounds if they occur. Wear a "Type N95" mask.

There are discussions going on in some agencies about the effects and use of bleach. Commercial grade disinfectants such as "TB Quat", "Vyrex", or Hospital grade "Vital Oxide" are available, and should be considered. Always read, and use these products in accordance with, the manufacturer's label. Please remember, your health is more important than your home. You can't enjoy your home from a hospital bed.

karenfae No, there is not agreement that climate change is real, or that Sandy was a result of climate change. I do not appreciate seeing biased points of view on Houzz.

shawnaleeah karenfae: if you watch anything other than fox news, you'll learn that all reputable scientists agree that humans are accelerating climate change at an uncontrollable rate. Human greed is, very literally, destroying the planet.

vics7 People where your forests that must protect your city? One or two trees in the yard will not do! You should have vast forests around cities around the roads on the coast!

kitchenatlast For those of you in recovery from Sandy, a house fire, a flood caused by any natural or man-made occurrence, and any other circumstance that damaged your home, please take note: in some states, insurance adjusters do not verify that the builders on their "approved" builder list hold the required state licenses to perform construction on your home. This may not sound important to you when you are standing amid the wreckage of your home, but believe me, it will be very important to you if you use a builder who is not licensed. States that have funds to recompense homeowners for damages due to acts of the builder (taking a down-payment and not returning, performing poor work, violating building codes, etc.) require that the builder be licensed in order to pay out to the homeowner. This is usually because licensed builders pay into the fund. If your builder is not licensed, the city or county will shut down the job when they find it, and the state may, as well.

The purpose of licensing is to ensure that the builder has a minimum level of competence, usually demonstrated by taking a test and providing proof of financial stability. If your builder is not licensed, it is because he could not prove that he knew enough about construction or that he had a strong enough financial position to obtain a license.

Some tips to protect yourself from unscrupulous builders:
1. Get any estimate, and certainly any contract, IN WRITING.
2. DO NOT give a builder a down payment. If he is reputable, he will have accounts at local supply houses to enable him to begin work. You can schedule a first draw (payment) for a short time after work begins, but do not give him money up front. A reputable builder will not ask you for a down payment. Remember, a storm means work for builders -- they will make a significant amount of money from storm damage work, and do not need your money to get started.
3. Always ask to see the required licenses--don't just take the builder's word for it. Again, a reputable builder will be happy to show you his license card. Check with your city, county, and state to see samples of what the licenses look like. Most states have a sample of their license on their

My home has been hit by falling trees during hurricanes and storms more than once. My parents have been evacuated and have had their home flooded during hurricanes. I know a little of what you are going through, and cannot imagine how much worse your situation is frm Sandy. I also work for a state licensing agency, and deal with unlicensed builders every day. The damage done to homeowners by unlicensed builders -- in essence, kicking someone while they're down -- is heartbreaking. Please protect yourself. If you have questions about your state's licensing, please go to www.nascla.org. They have information about most states on their website.

BY DESIGN Builders Mold is something we see in the home improvement business all too frequently. It is serious. Some people are highly sensitive to molds.
There are firms who specialize in mold remediation and there are professional organizations who support proper remediation practices. One of the professional organizations is called the IICRC: http://iicrc.org/consumers/care/mold-remediation/
Bleach is only good for non-porous surfaces. It does not permeate into wood, tile, sheetrock, carpet, concrete, etc. It is surprising to see an architect's drawings recommending bleach as a cleaning agent when removal of affected surfaces is the only appropriate measure.
An anti-microbial agent is in order to kill mold spores and prevent them from coming alive later. Mold spores can lie dormant for years. When moisture finally reaches it, it will grow rapidly.
We are fortunate to have an excellent PuroClean team here on Maui. They are at the forefront of their industry.
Here is a simple explanation about mold in homes http://www.puroclean.com/services/mold
While the water damage clean up can be done by non-professionals, the professional steps should still be taken to ensure the home is safe and mold-free.
We hope this information is helpful to those who are in need and that the sharing of this information may help others.

cicero58941 First and foremost, my best wishes to all survivors, and my condolences to all who have lost loved ones. I love the information contained in this article. When a natural disaster occurs, please get out and away from the area. Take your most important valuables, such as, insurance documents and important papers, money, credit cards, etc if you are able to get them. Under no circumstances should you ever jeopardize your lives over material things. Your safety comes first, and everything else next. You can always get material things later, although some things you can never replace, such as personal pictures. However your life is the most important thing you can save. Save your life first, and everything else will be added back in slowly over time. Stay alive and you may survive.

D D C I From what I've read here, it seems the discussion has gotten a bit off track. I feel compelled to write that, though the article does have some useful advice, it is provided from a narrow perspective. I would suggest that, to many of the affected survivors, recovery after a hurricane (or any disaster) is not as simple as the article infers.

Consider what happens to the homeowners that have no insurance. If they can qualify for one, a FEMA Grant provides a maximum of $30,000 to a survivor, if the damage occurs during a declared disaster (flood, earthquake, tornado, hurricane, forest fire), and only if their involvement is requested by a State's Governor. An assessment is performed, and perhaps not all the affected Counties will qualify to receive FEMA aid. I would ask that you consider the likelihood that the owner of the small home in the second picture above, if not insured, could make the necessary repairs with just a FEMA grant?

So, where do the survivors go for assistance? The Red Cross and other support agencies help with the immediate needs of providing food, temporary shelter, and other simple support services. First Responders work to rescue the injured, clear streets, restore utilities, and provide security and protection. But after several weeks have passed, and the basic infrastructure is restored, what are the uninsured survivors supposed to do then? What happens after the First Responders have finished their tasks, and the FEMA officials have left the area? Perhaps now is the appropriate time to consider that.

There are charitable organizations that can and do provide help. And there are thousands of certified and trained volunteers who will respond, if invited. Many of these groups are faith based. Lutheran, Episcopal, Catholic, United Methodist, and other groups have developed programs and provide leadership and volunteers to pitch in with whatever is needed, and some additional financial assistance to the survivors that meet the criteria. For Hurricane Sandy, I'd suspect that the Mennonites will volunteer their considerable construction talents to many of the survivors.

But consider this. Now, almost two years after Hurricane Irene (declared by FEMA to be a 'Minor' event), there are hundreds of survivors that have not yet returned to their homes. 357 families met the criteria for aid from UMCOR (United Methodist Committee On Relief), and LTR (Long-Term-Recovery) volunteers are still being scheduled into the affected areas of North Carolina to continue the repair efforts. Knowing that, how long do you estimate the recovery phase of Hurricane Sandy will be?

Please consider that the advice offered in the article reflects the merest fraction of the concerns of many of the survivors. And I would encourage the subscribers of Houzz.com to use their considerable talents and knowledge to provide other just-as-valuable assistance to the survivors.

thoughtwalker Thank you for all the information from those of who know to those of us who are soon going to need to know. Tomorrow I am allowed onto LBI, NJ to see the condition of my home. If I can get into the house, I can clean the fridge & freezer out, drain the pipes and take what we can in one car per household. We don't know when we will be allowed back on the island. The entire natural gas system has to be evaluated/repaired/replaced. My home will be closed up with whatever the water left behind. I will read some of this advice very carefully and pass this site on.

N.E.R.D Two generations of documented thunderstorms and blizzards could not prepare friends or family for what Connecticut and New England would experience Irene, Alfred, and Sandy. Muhammad Alli- "light as a butterfly, sting like a bee." arrival of Alfred was quiet the ending was epic. Brad Field meteorologist said, "once and a lifetime storm" as Alfred knocked out so many homes and business it raised just as many questions, the most publicized concern was communication and readiness of government to provide for their citizens as Alfred stirred great concerns that only Sandy held the answers to.

Sandy allowed Irene 13 months to correct her destruction and Alfred 1 year to date. For many the damages suffered and infrastructure compromised these past 12 months provided the necessary time to return their houses back to homes. Sandy did not allow these homeowners the luxury of enjoying their homes.

This is the time that neighbors help neighbors and communities provide for their people and for the greatness in everyone to shine as they offer a hand, a dollar, a water, a hug, a encouraging smile. To one that now understands what a natural disaster creates it creates the best of the community and locals and neighbors. There is not much rewarding in the path of destruction but the kindness and love that is left in the rubble the
people that rise taller then they ever stood makes me proud to call CT home.

I have never experienced such kindness and empathy all around with everyone working together towards the same goal. If a natural disaster dictates how a community defines itself I am proud to say my neighbors are the greatest, most powerful, and determined people that will hold together stronger then any hurricane can break between.

New England Restoration & Development has supplied any services and equipment it has to offer. As the re-building of my neighbors homes and business get underway just remember things are always replaceable. Be safe Be kind work together and as one we will raise New Jersey to Connecticut back to the greatest place to live.

patrickemailguard To Leta, I'm not trying to start a controversy at a time when we must focus on coming together to help our neighbors in the northeast. But the American Academy of Sciences reports approximately 98% agreement among its members on the role of human activity in global warming. The idea that there "isn't agreement on the causes of climate change" is the product of a massively financed campaign of misinformation continually repeating claims of the same small group of "experts". For a really excellent analysis of the both sides I would recommend the Frontline episode "Climate of Doubt". You can watch it on PBS.org
To help the victims of Sandy from personal experience here on Galveston island if you want to give to an organization that really helps people when they need it the Red Cross did more for us after Ike than everyone else put together - redcross.org

patrickemailguard And more on point, also from personal experience. If you file an insurance claim the insurer will send an adjuster. This person does not work for you! If you are not completely satisfied with your settlement OFFER from your insurer I suggest hiring a public insurance adjuster. Or you can of course hire an attorney like I did after Ike and they will take care of everything, mainly hiring a public adjuster and negotiating a settlement. You have to decide if they will get you enough more than handling it yourself to justify their typical 40% share. (The public adjuster's estimate was 14 times greater than the insurer's adjuster's attempt to rip me off in my case.)

peekaboo12 Thank you all for all your kind words. Many of us here in New York were spared. Some were not so lucky. ALOT of my friends have lost their homes. Those photos up above,... many of those photos are from the Rockaway's. I lived there for over 30 years until I moved to another area in New York about 40 minutes from the Rockaway's.

It's difficult because they still have no power and its hard because I don't know if some of my friends or father are even alive and because of the power situation, I can't get in touch with any of them.

Gas is impossible to get because of the power shortage,or else I would drive there and find out if they are ok.

I just have to wait, pray and be patient.

Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind words from me and everyone in New York.

Debbie

thebeatonpath Living in the Nashville/Middle Tennessee area, our minds are still fresh from the flood of 2010. It was a 1,000 year flood with many homes and businesses flooded and lost (think portable classroom floating down the interstate). It is still like a dream. Here are some things fresh on my mind from our ordeals. Like the article mentioned, drag EVERYTHING out of the flooded area. REMEMBER, it's all just STUFF and stuff can be replaced. Some photos can be saved, but hire a professional OR Google the process of saving your photos. Remove any damaged drywall ASAP! D D C I gave excellent instructions in his comments. Mold grows inside the walls if you don't rip out everything and start up those fans. Make sure you purchase GOOD drywall. Some folks ended up with the Chinese mess and are having to do it all over again! Wear masks so you don't breath in mold spores OR chemicals. DON'T be afraid to ask for or accept help. When the media didn't cover our disaster, it was almost a blessing in disguise. Neighbors and complete strangers pushed up their sleeves and started helping each other instead of waiting for help to arrive and those who couldn't help donated items and food. We saw the very best in people. BEWARE of scam artists. If it's too good to be true..... Those without power, look up cardboard box oven instructions. I wish everyone knew about them because they are so simple to make and work as well as a real oven. IT WILL GET BETTER! So many are praying for you and can relate, so HANG IN THERE and know we are sending our love, prayers and donations. GREAT BIG HUG FROM NASHVILLE!

peekaboo12 Thank you :)

Leta Thiessen Hi Patrick,
While I appreciate that your opinion may be different than mine on the issue and causes of climate change, I will still stick to my guns in saying it is because you have never been presented with the other side of the story - one that never grabs the attention of the media because it fails to support the ever popular cause/religion of being "green". You may want to take the time to look at the books "Cool It" and the "Skeptical Environmentalist" and see if your opinion is at all swayed once you actually see the unbiased information and the bigger picture. Scientist's research and jobs are funded by governments primarily - if the government wants to be popular it will tend to go along with what the public desires ( ie the green movement). Scientists that go against this don't get the grants and thusly they are in the minority. Money really does make the whole world go round.....

JAN MOYER Lets see... in 1966 we had a blizzard that shut down the town for a solid week, with drifts over the roof... in 76,77, 78, there was so much snow we didn't dig out until April... then in 94 46 inches in 3 days. In between, there was a March I can remember sunbathing in early March....and a February that required hauling out the storm window to turn on the air conditioner. I have frozen on July fourth, and sweat has dripped from my nose while the turkey roasts on Thanksgiving. If you haven't lived long enough, you might think it's strange or a global phenom, or cooling, or warming...it is JUST WEATHER!

Mike Belk This article was clearly composed by an architect, and not a restoration professional. How is a homeowner able to determine what personal contents are damaged beyond repair and what may be able to be professionally restored? Restoration technology has come a long way and items which may seem destroyed can often be professionally restored (electronics, drapes, rugs, etc).

"Make sure everything is dry before attempting any restoration" - Does your average homeowner own and know how to use an accurate professional moisture meter? Framing may seem dry to the touch while still carrying an elevated moisture content which poses a mold-risk if new drywall is installed over it. Household fans and dehumidifiers do not feature the high-capacity that commercial-grade specialty drying equipment are capable of, and most times are not sufficient for pulling moisture from materials with low permeance (hardwood, plaster, brick, concrete, stone, etc).

"Use cleaning agents such as bleach to get rid of any water stains and mold spores" - Anyone actually knowledgable in the restoration industry will correct the common misnomer that bleach is effective at removing mold. At BEST bleach will kill but not remove mold spores from porous materials such as drywall. Dead mold still poses a very real health risk. At WORST using bleach on active mold colonies can cause an extremely dangerous off-gassing at it reacts with the mold and can accelerate health-risks. Research for yourself: http://www.normi.org/articles/bleach-mold.php

"Once the basement is dry, test for air quality and any evidence of damp areas and possible mold spores. Use bleach or something similar to clean up any remaining areas of concern." - Air quality testing by a certified lab is only required if mold is known to be present prior to restoration, or, if health symptoms imply a hidden problem. Quick flood response by a professional restoration company initiates structural dryout to eliminate the potential for mold to develop - thus the entire purpose behind professional dryout services. If water damage is addressed quickly and PROPERLY, it negates the fear of mold damage.

I am writing this response as a restoration professional from a non-franchise single-location Flood and Mold Specialty company in San Diego, CA. Therefore I have nothing to gain personally from correcting this bad advice. I have actually received phone calls from homeowners and contractors in New Jersey seeking professional advice in restoring their home, after reading articles from our website (www.goldcoastflood.com). The best thing a homeowner can do after a disaster such as this is immediately contact a local restoration professional to assess the damage. If the damage is minor an ethical company such as Gold Coast can recommend "do-it-yourself" procedures and possibly rent drying equipment to the homeowner. If the damage is moderate to severe but the homeowner does not have flood insurance or does not wish to file a claim, then an estimate should be completed on-site to professionally restore the damage. If the homeowner does have insurance and wishes to file a claim, then the profesional may begin work immediately and can bill the insurance upon completion. One individual from NJ I spoke with could not reach her insurance company, due to the high volume of claims traffic. The worst thing to do is wait to hear back from insurance, while mold may potentially be developing, OR to attempt to perform major restoration procedures yourself, which could lead to insurance-claim-denial if work is not completed properly.

Wishing everyone on the East Coast our best, since we cannot help ourselves.

Mike - Gold Coast Flood Restorations, San Diego

billyl I bet those pesky dinosaurs and their coal fired power plants, SUVs, and giant carbon footprint is what caused the ice age.

If I was a scientist some of you would probably believe this. Now that I said it, someone will try to prove it.

Come on people, quit trying to blame every weather event in the world on some kind of "climate change." We as a society have about as much control over the climate as a grain of sand has over a beach.

Todd Kaime "Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get." ~Mark Twain

Climate changes might be real. We've been warming for the last ten thousand years as the last ice age came to an end. But to say mankind has any more control over climate is to believe we could have diverted Sandy to a less populated area. Or willed it away entirely. Simply impossible.

olldroo billy - you know cows are to blame now because of the massive amount of methane gas they produce but when you compare the size of a cow to that of a dinosaur the mind boggles.

Also rice paddies have a significant effect on methane emissions too - shall we demand everyone in Asia stop growing rice???

Leta Thiessen Who, pray tell, was measuring the weather, say...10,000 years ago, for us to now compare to??? I think Moses was busy with other stuff.......

billyl groovygranny- The Asian people should not stop producing rice, cause the cars they also produce would not have anything to power them. They should start producing cars that burn rice or methane.

Then we could have all the gasoline for ourselves.

olldroo Good one, Billy, we can joke about the weather all day, but I guess right now we should really be focussing on everyone who is suffering following Sandy. We may never get to the bottom of the causes of the weather but hopefully from Sandy we will learn more to help people combat the effects of it and rebuild better and safer for future events like this. We never know who might need it next.

billyl Groovygranny-I agree.

Bud Dietrich, AIA To everyone that's offered advice and contributed to the Red Cross, my heartfelt thanks. We have a bunch of family in the north Jersey area and friends all around the state who are going through tough times. But they are a strong and resilient group that will get through all of this.

Some other comments are:

1) As a professional, I encourage people to seek the help of a professional whenever possible but especially when it comes to anything like mold remediation. I encourage people to make sure the professional has the right experience, training and certification to get the job done properly. Disasters not only bring out our better angels, but have the opposite effect with some. So be wary and follow the advise so many offer here.

2) The CDC recommends using a bleach solution for mold remediation, though certainly there are other products available. If you go to the CDC webpage about this, you can read what they recommend. I also recommend that you read the CDC info before going about doing anything as there's a lot of good advice there. The webpage is:

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5508a1.htm

Marilena I what to say one thing ...and sorry for my english...I am Italian and I write from Italy where we built everything in bricks.My question is ...to the architects...if you know that a certain area is in danger with the arrival of hurricanes, why you still built the houses with wood?
Sorry , I am ignorant , and perhaps is a stupid question , but is something I always though.Thank you
Marilena

Bud Dietrich, AIA Hi Marilena - Building our homes with wood is tradition in the US. It comes from when we had (and still have) a bounty of forests. Wood is the least expensive, most readily available and most familiar to the builders. So as much as we have explored using brick, stone, masonry, concrete, steel, etc. for our homes, we predominately stick to wood.

Natalie Gaweda I live in flood zone A in Staten Island, NY. I never expected to get him from three sides, the beach 8 blocks away, the main thoroughfare Hylan Blvd and from a tidal wave surge in the wetlands...All of the water came into my home through a back door, can anyone recommend what to do about that going forward...as well as what to do about the basement windows to avaoid that as well...I need to be proactive and prepare and prevent this from happening again.

olldroo Natalie, I am very sorry to hear of your plight. It must have been a terrible and frightening experience for you. I can't offer you any specific advice from the other side of the world but I just felt for you when no one else has replied with constructive assistance. I'm wondering would your local authorities, disaster relief organisations even insurance companies not be proactive in helping people rebuild and plan for better protection for the future? Have you started asking around at all, although you may get shunted from pillar to post for a while you will gradually glean information to help you.

I wish you well in your efforts.

Bud Dietrich, AIA @Natalie Gaweda - Sounds like you'll be doing a bit of reconstruction to get your home back to the way it was. I know that the local chapters of the American Institute of Architects have been helping folks sort out what direction to go. Here's a link to the website for the Staten Island chapter. It looks like that will be a good place to start.

Natalie Gaweda Thanks guys bud what is the link I do not see it?

Bud Dietrich, AIA Here's the link to the Staten Island AIA: http://www.aiasiny.org/

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