FLOOD08132

• County: Statewide
• Community: Nationwide
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Repairing Your Flooded Home
• Date: 8/1/1992
• Prepared By: FEMA, American Red Cross
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

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,$*'*$ Give Your Home First Aid

Safety Checklist

. Wait for the water to go down
Report downed power lines
. Report gas leaks
Check for structural damage
Turn off electricity
Turn off gas or fuel

6

to clean the mud out of the pilot
and the burners. But first, you
must turn off the gas.
There is a valve next to the
gas meter. If the valve is parallel
to the pipe, the gas is on. You
will need a pair of pliers or a
wrench to turn the valve. Turn it
90 degrees (a quarter turn) so
the valve is perpendicular to the
pipe to shut the gas off.

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OFF

Some gas meter valves have a
hole in the handle. This hole
lines up with a hole in the valve
body when the gas is shut off.
(The gas company uses the
holes to tock or seal the valve
closed when a building is
vacant.) When the holes are
lined up, you know that the gas
supply should be shut off.
To be sure the gas is off, write
down the numbers on all the
dials on the meter. Check the
dials at least 5 minutes later. If
the numbers have changed, the
valve is not closed. Gas is still
flowing. Telephone your utility
company for help and keep clear
of the area until the gas has

stopped flowing.
Fuel Oil or Propane. If you
have a fuel oil or propane tank,
it may have floated and the con-
necting pipes might be broken.
Even an underground tank can
float. Thrn off the fuel valve at
the tank and follow the instruc-
tions in Step 5 before you turn
the fuel back on.

Go Inside Carefully
If the door sticks and has to be
forced open, it is probably
swollen. If it only sticks at the
bottom, it can be forced open. If
it sticks at the top, it could mean
that your ceiling is ready to fall.
You can force the door open,
but wait outside the doorway for
a minute so you'll be protected
if something falls.
If the door won't open easily,
it may be easier for you to enter
your home through a window.
Look carefully at the ceiling
before you go in to be sure it is
not ready to fall.
Don't smoke or use candles,
gas lanterns, or other open
flames in your home. Air out
your house completely-there
may be explosive gas.
Check the ceiling for signs
of sagging. If there was a lot of
wind and rain, or if the flood
was very deep, your ceiling may
be holding water. Wet plaster or
wallboard is very heavy and dan-
gerous if it falls. If the ceiling is
sagging, do the following before
you go in:
1. Make a poker by attaching a
nail or other pointed object to
the end of a long stick. (You
might hammer a finishing nail
into the end of a broomstick.)