Philadelphia, PA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/02/2018 --Flooding to a homeowners' building is a dangerous experience, whether it is confined to your recreation room or the entire house. High floodwater carries the risk of drowning, but even smaller house floods most likely can result in dangerous electrical hazards and contamination risks from polluted water.
A flood puts a person at risk for electrocution. If an individual makes physical contact with floodwaters and your home is not fully disconnected from the electrical grid, an individual can sustain serious injury or even death. Never enter a flooded basement or recreation room until an electrician or a utility worker has fully disconnected your home from the electrical grid. Even if a homeowner has lost power during a storm, a neighbor's running generator could cause enough back feed of electricity to cause electrocution. Thus, an individual should not enter a home until a government authority states that it is all clear to do so.
Floods that occur suddenly, flash floods, are extremely dangerous. The Centers for Disease Control reports that more than half of all flood-related deaths occur when a vehicle is driven into flash floodwater. According to the National Weather Service, a mere 5 inches of fast-moving floodwater can knock an adult to the ground. It only takes just 12 inches of fast moving water to carry away a small car, while 2 feet of rushing water can carry away almost any vehicle.
In addition to the risks of electrocution and bodily injury, contaminated floodwater can be a serious threat to one's heath. Mostly, there are three kinds of floodwater a homeowner might encounter. Clean water and greywater flooding is usually confined to the home, while blackwater flooding can happen to a home but can occur on a larger scale, such as the widespread flooding after a severe weather event.
Floodwater that does not pose an immediate health threat is known as clean water. Clean water floods can result from a water supply line burst, rainwater or melting snow. Clean water home floods are generally safe for the homeowner to clean up if there is not a tremendous amount of water in the home, but standing clean water can easily become greywater in as little as 24 hours.
Greywater is wastewater that is not contaminated with fecal matter and/or urine. Generally, it contains fewer pathogens than blackwater and can be reused for non-potable purposes, such as toilet flushing. Greywater still contains trace amounts of contaminants and cannot be ingested. Greywater must be removed immediately by a professional remediation company or it can turn into blackwater within as little as 48 hours.
Blackwater is wastewater that is contaminated with human waste. Blackwater comes from sewer lines within in the home or at the street level that backs into your home. Raw sewage is classified as blackwater. Blackwater contains dangerous bacteria and pathogens that can fully decompose and release into the surrounding environment. It can also be contaminated with dissolved chemicals, making contact with this water even more dangerous. The air should not be breathed in for long periods of time. Breathing the air may cause serious health problems. When it comes to flooding, blackwater floods are the most hazardous and the most destructive. The unsanitary conditions of this water absorbs into porous building items such as drywall, wood, and fabric items that make them unsalvageable.
Due to the recent storms in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the professionals at First Choice Restoration have recently cleaned up damaged floodwater properties in New Jersey from Lambertville to Manahawkin and in Pennsylvania from Philadelphia to Allentown. It is important for a restoration company to understand the importance of prompt response time. A restoration company must be available 24 hours 7 days a week to help get the homeowner back to pre loss condition. While most disasters cannot be predicted, if you live in flood prone areas, or have had plumbing-related floods in the past, the following are a few things that can protect the homeowner:
- Keep an eye on any areas in your home that have had water damage in the past.
- Inspect plumbing in the home twice a year. Check water supply lines, drain lines, shutoff valves, appliance connections for potential leaks.
- Install flood alarms in the basement or recreation room of the home for help with early detection and to prevent extensive damage.
About First Choice Restoration
First Choice Restoration is a water, mold, fire, and smoke remediation company headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. The company also operates additional offices throughout other areas of Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware. The company has been assisting homeowners and businesses with water, mold, fire, and smoke cleanup for over 40 years.
For more information, please visit http://www.firstchoicerestore.com or call 800-370-0770.