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Flood Damage Assessment & Repair: How to Prevent or Remove Mold After a Flood MoldAPedia © Enter your search terms Submit search form   Search This Website - InspectAPedia.com

Advice for people whose building has flooded Flood damage assessment, building entry safety, repair priorities How to minimize mold damage after flooding "Anti mold" procedures that don't work or are unsafe How to clean up a moldy building after flooding

If your building has been flooded, this website provides an easy to understand guide for flood damage assessment, setting priorities of action, safety, and we provide special information about avoiding or minimizing mold damage. This is the first chapter of our articles on steps to take to avoid mold in a flooded building.

These are quick, simple steps to minimize mold damage in a flooded building. Our "Flood Response Checklist" (see links at page left) lists key actions you should take after building flooding to minimize mold damage, and includes some safety warnings. We also list after-flood "anti-mold" procedures that do not work or are unsafe - to help you avoid unnecessary expense in dealing with mold after a building flood. If your building is already moldy or if you suspect mold related illness in your building, we link to a step by step "Mold Action Guide" dealing with toxic or allergenic indoor mold and other indoor contaminants: when and how to inspect or test for mold, when to hire an expert, how to clean up a moldy area, when and how to perform post-remediation mold testing.

If your septic system has been flooded we link to an article outlining what to do about that system as well. Extensive, technically detailed in-depth articles on other mold detection, testing, and prevention methods are organized at our Mold Information Center © Copyright 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use the links at page left to navigate this document or to go to Other Website Topics. Green links at left show where you are in our document & website.

What to do to Prevent Mold Growth After a Building Flood or Burst Pipe

If your building has just been flooded by rising flood waters, a burst pipe, a waste line leak, a sewer backup, or other event, immediate action may prevent a very costly mold cleanup. Review this checklist. If your building already has an actual or suspected mold problem, review the Mold Action Guide web pages (see links at page left). If you did not take the steps in "Building Floods" below and are reading this section days or weeks after the flooding event, a comprehensive building survey for hidden mold or other contaminants may be needed before a full building cleanup plan can be made.

FIRST PRIORITIES: What to Do After a Building Has Been Flooded

• If You Have Been Injured seek medical care at the nearest hospital or emergency facility. Floodwaters are often contaminated by sewage and there is risk of serious infection if wounds are not cleaned and treated.
• Check on Neighbors to see if there are elderly or infant neighbors who are trapped, injured, or otherwise need assistance. Help a neighbor who may require special assistance--infants, elderly people, and people with disabilities. Elderly people and people with disabilities may require additional assistance. People who care for them or who have large families may need additional assistance in emergency situations.
• DO NOT ENTER:
• If the building is still flooded: Flood waters often undermine foundations, causing sinking, floors can crack or break and buildings can collapse.
• If the building is damaged or has moved off of its foundation: Damage to the building may mean that there is a risk of collapse. Buildings which have moved off of their foundation - ruptured gas or electrical lines are extremely dangerous.
• If there are live electrical systems or wires: Where electrical wiring is live and wet or under water or even simply standing in water or on a wet surface without special protection can lead to a fatal electrical shock.
• Buildings that have not been declared safe: Avoid entering ANY building (home, business, or other) before local officials have said it is safe to do so. Buildings may have hidden damage that makes them unsafe.
• Do not Smoke Near or Inside Buildings that Have not Been Declared Safe - a ruptured gas line could mean an explosion will occur. Avoid smoking inside buildings. Smoking in a confined area can cause a fire.
• Avoid disaster areas: Your presence might hamper rescue and other emergency operations, and put you at further risk from the residual effects of floods, such as contaminated waters, crumbled roads, landslides, mud flows, and other hazards.
• Continue to listen to a NOAA Weather Radio: or local radio or television stations and return home only when authorities indicate it is safe to do so. Flood dangers do not end when the water begins to recede; there may be flood-related hazards within your community, which you could hear about from local broadcasts.
• Report broken utility lines: to the appropriate authorities. Reporting potential hazards will get the utilities turned off as quickly as possible, preventing further hazard and injury. Check with your utility company now about where broken lines should be reported.

Building Flood Damage, Cleanup, and Mold Prevention Articles (Green Links shows where you are)

HOW TO CLEAN MOLD A Guide to Mold Cleanup Procedures FLOODS & MOLD CLEAN/PREVENT A Guide to Dealing with Flood Damage & Mold Prevention or Cleanup for Flooded Homes
FIRST PRIORITIES When Responding to a Flooded Building
BUILDING ENTRY PROCEDURE How to Enter a Building After a Building Flood
FLOOD RESPONSE CHECKLIST Checklist of Key Steps to Minimize Mold Damage After a Building Flood
INEFFECTIVE PRODUCTS Ineffective Mold Products and Procedures to Avoid in Mold Cleanup/Prevention
FURTHER STEPS PREVENT MOLD Further Steps to Avoid Mold Damage After a Building Flood
WHEN TO STOP LOOKING FOR MOLD after Flooding: When is a Mold Cleanup Job Complete?
GENERAL MOLD PREVENTION Preventing Future Mold After a Flooded Building Cleanup
RFERENCES References on Mold Prevention and Flood Damage
FLOOD VENTS How to Use Flood Vents for Structural Protection from Flooding - Flood Venting in Foundations and Enclosures Below Design Flood Elevation

SEPTIC SYSTEMS What to Do after a Flood - Septic Flood Response, Safety, Health, Maintenance, Repair Advice

Use the links just above or other links at the left of each page to navigate this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website. If you just "scroll down" you'll miss some important articles. See links at page left.

REFERENCES and Information Sources Used in This Document

• Repairing Your Flooded Home American Red Cross and FEMA - PDF - English
• Como Reparar su Hogar Inundado American Red Cross and FEMA - PDF - espanol
• Flood Cleanup - Avoiding Indoor Air Quality Problems US EPA Fact Sheet
• Cleaning Up After a Flood Texas Department of State Health Services.

More Reading about Mold Cleanup and Mold Prevention

For more depth of understanding of mold prevention and mold or general building cleanup after flooding see these articles:

• Action Guide for Mold what to do about mold, cleaning, removal, testing, hiring an expert or doing it yourself - a step by step guide to what to do about mold
• Clearance Procedures: Post Remediation Mold Inspection & Clearance Testing
• Floods in Building Setting Priorities and Using Mold Resistant Building - quick steps after a building flood or plumbing leak can prevent costly mold contamination
• Prevent Mold, How-To Correct the Causes of Mold and Prevent Indoor Mold or other indoor environment problems


• Flood Response for Septic Systems what to do after a septic system has been exposed to flooding
• Sewage & Septic Backups and what to do about sewage spillage in buildings
• Septic Tank Location - How to Find the Septic Tank, how deep will the cover be, how to document its location
• Septic Tank Pumping Frequency Guide for Septic Tanks: When, How, What to Watch For when pumping or cleaning septic tanks
• Sewage Contaminants which may be released from sewage spills from residential septic systems and wastewater disposal systems
• Sewer Gas Odors diagnosing, finding, and curing septic tank and sewer line smells
• Sewer Gas - Methane and other septic system gas explosion or asphyxiation hazards such as hydrogen sulfide
• When Not to Pump a Septic Tank to avoid damage, unsafe conditions, or wasting money


• Allergy & Mold Products to reduce indoor mold or allergen levels
• Attic Condensation and Ice Dam Leaks - Detection and Correcting Venting and Condensation Problems in Buildings
• How to Clean Moldy Wood Framing & Sheathing How to clean/seal mold from/on exposed lumber or plywood subfloor or roof sheathing indoors - some suggestions based on our field and laboratory research
• Humidity: What indoor humidity should we maintain in order to avoid a mold problem?
• Mold-Resistant Building Practices, advice from an expert on how to prevent mold after a building flood and how to prevent mold growth in buildings by selection of building materials and by anti-mold construction details.
• Ozone Warnings - Use of Ozone as a "mold" remedy is ineffective and may be dangerous.


• Mold FAQs Answers to Most Questions about Indoor Mold, Mold Related Illness, Mold Cleanup, Mold Prevention
• Mold Info Center Mold Home Page

Technical Reviewers

Particular thanks are due to experts and also consumers who read these articles and suggest corrections, changes, and additions to the material. Content suggestions, technical corrections and content critique are invited for any of the content at our website.

• Mark Cramer Inspection Services Mark Cramer, Tampa Florida, Mr. Cramer is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors and is a Florida home inspector and home inspection educator. (727) 595-4211 mark@BestTampaInspector.com 11/06
• Hankey and Brown home inspectors, Eden Prairie, MN, technical review by Roger Hankey, prior chairman, Standards Committee, American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI. 952 829-0044 - hankeyandbrown.com 11/06
• Arlene Puentes, a licensed home inspector, educator, and building failures researcher in Kingston, NY. 11/29/06
• Daniel Friedman - principal author
• Technical reviewers are invited to comment or ask questions - contact us

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