Flooding is a threat in numerous places, and every country in the world is informed about it. We commonly see flooding calamities claiming hundreds and even thousands of lives and properties frequent the news over the past decades. Floods can be harmful, deadly, and devastating to locations susceptible to the said catastrophe. Now, let’s talk about the problems it can cause.
Damages Caused by Flooding
Heavy rainfalls, thunderstorms, hurricanes, overloaded or clogged up sewer, and drainage systems are the most frequently identified causes of floodings. While these greatly affect human lives, they present serious environmental risks and even interrupt the economy. Listed here are some of the impacts caused by flooding.
1. Property Damage
Houses that are hit by the flood are prone to water damage concerns. Normal flood damage can leave your home in a total mess. Moreover, it may even take weeks and months to recover and dry out the floodwater. For this reason, some individuals employ home restoration companies that offer reconstruction services to do the job for them.
Things such as house appliances and furniture are valuables that might be hard to retrieve after flooding. However, saving your carpet after a flood is still possible through extensive washing and cleaning or hiring a professional cleaning company to save your time and efforts.
2. Structural and Electrical Disturbance
Loose or buckling floors, roof covering, and foundation fractures are visible structural damages caused by a flood. Broken or frayed electrical wires can also be noticed after a flood. When coming home after a flood, avoid touching outlets, switches, and the electrical box for your safety and security. Have an electrician check the electrical wirings before trying to use your electricity.
3. Mold and Mildew
Molds grow on any damp surface area within 24-48 hours. This indicates that everything inside your home, including structure materials such as drywall, ceiling, flooring, and insulation exposed to water, is likely to have mold. Even your clothing and other personal things are at risk of developing mildew.
Drying your house and valuables immediately is one way to prevent molds from growing and spreading out. You can use fans and dehumidifiers for this situation to make the procedure faster. If the molds start growing in these locations before you can prevent them, you can use bleach to eliminate them. Alternatively, you can refer to remediation companies providing mold removal services to get the job done for you.
4. Loss of Life
Loss of human lives, livestock, and even pets are some of the immediate impacts of flooding. People exposed to floodwaters are at risk of waterborne and carrier-borne diseases like typhoid fever, cholera, leptospirosis, hepatitis A, jungle fever, and dengue hemorrhagic fever. Breakouts and fatalities of the stated health problems were reported during mass floodings.
5. Loss of Livelihood
Farmers suffer the most when a flood hits. Flooding can create disintegration and soil displacement, wrecking and destroying crops. Stormy weather conditions and flooding can be troublesome to farming lands because these can cause delays in crop harvest. Even worse, flooding can likewise mean zero production for the farmers throughout the season. Livestock farming businesses and various land operating businesses are at threat of getting affected by floods.
