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How To Deal With Flooding In Your Home

Author Roxanne Wilder
HUDSON, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 27: Kevin Nguyen cleans off his garden tools after a storm surge inundated the first floor of his home when Hurricane Helene passed offshore on September 27, 2024 in Hudson, Florida. Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday night in Florida's Big Bend with winds up to 140 mph and storm surges. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Our hearts go out to all of the bay area residents in this crisis after the storm trying to deal with flooding in your home in Tampa Bay. If you’re currently stuck with flood water in your house, here are some steps you can try to follow in the aftermath.

First thing, most importantly, turn off all electrical systems in your home. This has happened automatically in a lot of cases with power outages. But it could be dangerous when it comes back on, so make sure you’ve turned off the sources. Avoid walking through water to get to a fuse box.

Make sure your children, pets, and any loved ones, family members within the house are okay. Evacuate to a shelter or to dry land. As long as you and your loved ones are safe, you will be able to navigate the recovery process.

If you are renting your property, reach out to your landlord. If you are a homeowner, call your insurer and tell them you have water damage. Identify whether you need to wait for the adjuster to come to your property before you begin cleanup. If you have questions in regard to what to do if your insurance company isn’t filing a proper claim, you can find resources here.

How To Deal With Flooding In Your Home In Tampa Bay: Clean-up Process

First before you start cleaning up the damage, make sure you’re wearing the right protective gear. Rubber boots, gloves, and clothes are essential for post-hurricane clean up.

When it comes to the clean-up process, there are three imperative things you need to remember. We are all included to take our phones and grab a photo or video in a traumatic event. This is the right time to do that. You have to be able to show your insurer the damage, so take photographs of everything from every angle. Take every precaution to avoid hazardous material, which includes water.

Once you’ve documented everything, it’s time to remove the water and try to save any of the personal items that you have. This means removing EVERYTHING water touched in your home.  Set any solid wood furniture, family photos, or other potential salvageable items out to dry.

A significant danger of flooding is mold issues. Use bleach to clean and keep the area dry.

Please be safe and be careful.

Roxanne is a co-host on the MJ Morning Show and host of Middays on Q105 in Tampa Bay. She also hosts segments on The Current, which features local feel-good stories and health and wellness segments, and airs on five of the six Tampa-based Beasley Media Group stations. Roxanne has conducted hundreds of interviews, from athletes to Oscar winners, including Matt Damon, Christian Bale, and Chadwick Boseman. She also specializes in media training, having worked with clients in the NFL, NBA and WWE for television, in print, and online. Roxanne is a published author and will be releasing a thriller novel in 2024. Her favorite thing in the world is being with her two daughters and husband. As a content creator for Q105, Roxanne writes about family activities in the Tampa Bay area, as well as reviews for local restaurants and travel.

What's Opened And Closed In Tampa Bay After Hurricane Helene

Tampa Bay wakes up grateful that the worst of Hurricane Helene missed us. While some are suffering from power outages and fallen trees, many people and businesses in the community are working hard to open back up. Here’s what we’ve seen open in Tampa Bay (so far). To be sure, call the business location near you to make sure they are still open.

Hurricane Helene has made landfall in Taylor Co, Florida about 10 miles WSW of Perry, FL as a Category 4 with winds of 140 mph.

Related: Safety Tips To Recover From A Hurricane

Please only leave if evacuation orders in your county have been lifted. Officials have asked residents to not attempt to drive through the high waters. If you MUST leave your shelter, drive slowly and be alert on the roadways. Make a full stop at any broken stoplights to avoid any accidents. 

Tampa Bay has seen some effects of storm surge in parts of Tampa, Clearwater, Tarpon Springs, St. Pete and more. Many businesses have decided to stay closed today due to flooded streets. Some have opened to provide hot meals to those without power. Here’s what we know is opened and closed in Tampa Bay for Friday, September 27. We will keep this post updated as we learn if more places have opened.

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Author Roxanne Wilder
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