Otago flooding: How to clean your home after a deluge

By Serena Solomon of RNZ
The rain has barely stopped pummelling Dunedin, but dozens of residents will be facing a future that includes cleaning flood-damaged homes.
There’s a lot that can complicate that process, such as the toxic nature of floodwaters, whether or not you are the homeowner or renter, and if you have home or renter’s insurance.
Whatever situation you are in, here’s how to get started:
“Wait for all clear from authorities before returning to your home as there can be hidden hazards,” said John Price, a director at the National Emergency Management Agency.
There could be the potential for more rain, danger from unstable land, and hazards from electricity or gas lines that are still being mitigated.
For those impacted by the floods in Dunedin, check in with Dunedin City Council and Emergency Management Otago for updated information on evacuations and clean-up efforts.
Flood water is not “pretty rain water. It is full of toxins and what not,” said Fred Morley from Chem-Dry, a flood cleaning and restoration service with locations around the country.
The water that went through your home might include sewage from burst pipes, chemicals from farmland runoff or whatever else it might have collected along the way.
Morley advised that homeowners gear up with watertight overalls, gumboots, facemasks, goggles and long-sleeve shirts. Cuts and open wounds should not come into contact with whatever water or sludge is leftover from a flood.
“Remember to keep children and animals away where the flooding occurred until it is cleaned and made safe,” added Price.
Stay clear of appliances, plugs, electrical wires and gas lines until they have been checked or replaced by an electrician.
Once you return home, heading straight for items such as photo albums, jewellery and passports is only natural, Morley said.
“They will want to start salvaging their photos and documents, and the really important articles that might be their heritage or heirloom.”
Lodge a claim online or by phone as soon as you can (and if you are renting, notify your landlord).
Whether you have home and contents or renter’s insurance, the Insurance Council of New Zealand advises those caught up in the floods to photograph damage and make a list of all damaged items.
While your insurance will likely assist with the cost of cleaning up, homeowners can get started on the clean before the pros. This will be a similar process to those who don’t have insurance.
Even if you have insurance, you’re expected to help with the clean-up.
“… make sure you throw away all food and drinking water that has come into contact with flood water including things stored in containers,” said Price. “We generally advise people not to drink water or prepare food with tap water until they know it’s not contaminated.”
Move flood-damaged furniture and other items on to the driveway or lawn. That way you can itemise them for insurance and figure out what you are keeping. Ideally, furniture damaged by toxic floodwater should be discarded, but that isn’t always a reality for those who don’t have insurance, Morley says.
While it is fine to remove carpets, do not remove “hard floor coverings, wall linings or structural elements of a property or disturb any materials which might contain hazardous substances,” according to the Insurance Council of New Zealand.
A report by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research estimated that one-third of damaged items, including homes and totalling more than $2 billion, were uninsured.
Those who are uninsured or underinsured will be looking to friends, family and community organisations for help, said Morley, who has partnered with his church to assist those struggling in Hawke’s Bay following Cyclone Gabrielle last year.
Once the initial cleaning has been done in a home, industrial humidifiers can be hired and fans brought in to dry up structural moisture, said Morley. However, these will likely be in short supply, especially in Dunedin.
– RNZ