Though you can try to prepare your home for upcoming floods, sometimes there’s no way to stop floods damaging your home.
If your home is prone to flooding or you’re currently dealing with a flooded house, sorting out the damage can be overwhelming, especially if the flood damage is severe.
Use our handy guide to help you stay safe after a house flood and get back to normal as soon as possible.
What to do straight after a house flood
If your house has just flooded or is currently flooding, there are some important things you should do first:
- leave the house immediately if authorities have told you to do so or you suspect it’s currently unsafe to stay in
- if you have home insurance, call your insurance company’s emergency line to tell them about the flood (and possibly arrange for temporary repairs)
- ensure pets and children are kept away from flooded areas
- try to collect important documents, such as passports and insurance papers, if it’s safe to do so
- turn off all electricity if you have safe and dry access to the switchbox (if you see signs of water or water damage in or around the switchbox, don’t touch it and call a professional instead)
After you’ve taken care of these urgent actions, you can also try to:
- find your insurance documents and store them safely
- pack necessary items if you need to leave your home (clothes, medication, ID, money, etc.)
- take note of what’s been damaged by the flood in your home
If you’ve been told you need to leave your home immediately, don’t do anything beyond what’s absolutely necessary.
How to clean up after a flood
There are some key steps to follow when cleaning up after a flood.
1. Ventilate your home
It’s easy for water damage in your home to turn into damp and mould.
Ventilating your home by keeping windows open and using dehumidifiers or heaters can help dry things up.
2. Move all valuable items upstairs
Some of your valuable items may be beyond repair because of the water damage.
But if there’s anything left downstairs that hasn’t been damaged, make sure you move it upstairs.
You can also seal your valuable items in plastic bags to keep them extra safe.
3. Get rid of floodwater
Now it’s time to remove the water from your home. There are a few ways to do this:
- hire a floodwater removal service
- rent pumps or wet vacuums
- use buckets and empty the water outside
If there’s a large amount of floodwater in your home, trying to remove it yourself may not work.
In this case, you’ll probably need a professional to take care of removing the water before you can carry on cleaning.
4. Remove damaged carpet and flooring
Wet carpet and flooring can be breeding grounds for damp and mould, so make sure to remove any flooded carpet and flooring that you can.
If you’re not sure whether your wood or vinyl flooring has been affected, check if it’s:
- warped
- loose
- soft or bouncy to step on
- curled at the edges
- showing dark stains
5. Clean up debris
It’s likely that the floodwater has spread things around in your home, causing mess and clutter. Some of the things caught in the flood will be beyond repair, while others might be salvageable.
With some things, it’s best to throw them out if they’ve been damaged by floodwater, including:
- electronics
- unpackaged toiletries like sponges and toothbrushes
- food (including pet food)
- But some items can be cleaned and used again, for instance:
- clothing and towels
- metal and plastic furniture
- kitchen utensils
6. Wash clothing and upholstery
Wash all clothing and upholstery that have been in or near to the floodwater with a hot cycle. This will get rid of dirt and germs and make sure damp doesn’t grow.
You can also use bleach when washing but be careful to keep the amount to one cup per load of laundry.
Make sure the washed fabrics are also thoroughly dried after washing.
7. Clean walls and surfaces
To hold off damp and disinfect your home, you should clean your walls and surfaces (such as kitchen counters and tables) with detergent or disinfectant spray.
Do the same with plates, pots and pans and cutlery.
Living at home after a flood
Your local authorities may tell you it’s safe to live at home after a flood, usually if the damage is minor. However, if you’re going to live at your home after a flood, take the following precautions:
- keep pets and children away from flooded areas
- book an electrician to visit and find out if it’s safe to use the electricity
- boil your tap water until your taps are deemed safe to use by your provider
- throw away any food that’s been reached by the floodwater
- always wear shoes in flooded areas to avoid moving debris and possible contamination
Preparing for a flood
One of the best things you can do if you’re expecting a flood is to prepare your home by making sure you have things like sandbags and floodwalls in place. Check out our guide to preparing for a flood and making sure you have everything you need to minimise the risk of flood damage to your home.
Do I need to stay somewhere else after a house flood?
If the council or emergency services tell you that you need to leave your home after a flood, then you should do so.
Beyond this, deciding on whether to leave also depends on the extent of the damage. If one room has flooded very slightly or has received minor water damage, you may be okay to continue living at home while you arrange for the room to be repaired.
However, if a flood has made it difficult or dangerous to live at home, you should arrange alternative accommodation until your house is safe to live in again.
How do I find alternative accommodation?
If you have home insurance, your insurer may be able to arrange alternative accommodation for you.
If you don’t have home insurance and your home isn’t safe to live in, you should contact the local council to see if they can help. Booking a hotel yourself is always an option, but you’ll likely be doing so out of your own pocket if your insurer or the council isn’t involved.
I live in a flood zone - do I need home insurance?
It’s very important to have home insurance if you live in a flood zone (i.e. an area that has been registered by the UK Environment Agency as prone to river or sea flooding). Without home insurance, you’ll need to pay for all the repairs your home needs yourself. This could range between hundreds and thousands of pounds, so having home insurance gives you peace of mind that you won’t have to deal with all the costs alone.
Admiral offers Buildings, Contents or Combined insurance on its home policies. You can learn more about this on our home insurance page.
If you rent in a flood zone, it’s up to your landlord to take out insurance for the building itself. However, you should take out contents insurance to protect your belongings in the event of a flood.
Can I get flood insurance?
Flood insurance often comes as part of a home insurance policy, be it for buildings, contents or both. If you need flood cover as part of your home insurance, it’s important to ask about flood insurance before you sign up or check your policy documents if you’re already covered.
Flood Re and Build Back Better
If you live in a flood zone, you could benefit from Flood Re and its Build Back Better scheme. Flood Re is an agreement between the government and UK insurers, including Admiral, that allows us to offer more affordable insurance for areas most at risk of flooding.
Flood Re’s Build Back Better scheme is there to help people before and after their home floods. Houses built before 2009 could be eligible for Flood Re.
If you’ve made a flood claim with Admiral and it meets the criteria, Build Back Better will give the option to install property flood resilience that covers costs up to £10,000, with your permission, as part of the repairs.
You may have received a letter from us informing you of this benefit on your policy. If you are unsure if your home policy benefits from this scheme, please get in touch with us.
You can read more about the Build Back Better scheme on the Build Back Better Flood Re webpage. To learn more about Flood Re, check out our article explaining how it works.
Claiming after a flood
If you’ve already contacted your insurer’s emergency helpline after a flood, they’ll likely already have a record of the incident. But either way, it’s important to have your insurance documents with you so that you can provide your policy number.
Other information you may be asked for includes:
- your address
- the date or time of the flood
- receipts for any costs you’ve covered so far because of the flood
- a list of what's damaged
- photographic evidence of damage
To make a home insurance claim after a flood, please head to our make a claim page or get in touch with us.
