What to Do Before and After a Flood in the Riverfront Area
10/3/2017 (Permalink)
With the rainy season making its way into town, have you given any thought to if your commercial property is prepared for a flooding from heavy rain? SERVPRO of Gresham wants to make sure you’re prepared in the event a disaster happens. The following gives tips on what to do before and after a flood.
BEFORE A FLOOD:
If an advanced Flood Warning had been issued, there are several precautions that can be taken to help minimize damage to certain areas in your business:
- Turn off utilities at the main switches or valves if instructed to do so.
- Disconnect electrical equipment and appliances.
- Move vehicles out of low lying parking garages.
- Raise elevators from bottom floor.
AFTER A FLOOD:
Safety first!
- Account that all employees are safe by establishing evacuation plans in advance identifying areas outside the building that are designated meeting places. Assign select individuals to keep a list of their assigned team’s names and contact numbers in order to account for their whereabouts.
- If water enters the building and evacuation becomes impossible, move to an upper floor, and wait for rescuers.
- While evacuating, avoid attempting to drive through floods or rising water, nearly half of all flash flood fatalities are auto-related.
- Do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water.
- Do not walk through moving water. Even six inches of moving water can make you fall.
- Use no open flames (there may be gas escaping from ruptured mains).
- Avoid floodwaters. Water may be contaminated by oil, gasoline, or raw sewage. Water may also be electrically charged.
- Stay out of any building if it is surrounded by floodwaters.
- Listen for news reports to learn if the community’s water supply is safe to drink.
- Return only when authorities indicate is it safe.
In the event your property has a flood, remember to call SERVPRO of Gresham today at (503) 665-7752!