WACO, Texas (Aug. 28, 2006) - As we enter into what may be the peak hurricane season, homeowners need to know what to do if heavy rains leave their homes flooded.

"Homeowners need to act quickly to minimize the damage," said David Bethea, president of Rainbow International. "Home floods can cause severe damage to structural materials and valuable contents, so homeowners should leave the cleanup process to professionals."

Rainbow International offers these steps for homeowners who find themselves in ankle-deep water this flood season:

Call your insurance company immediately:

• Give them an accurate description of the damage
• They will arrange for a claims adjustor to visit the site and assess the extent of the losses

Keep a record of your flood damage:

• Do an inventory of every room, detailing the losses - use a camera or video recorder

Clean it up:

• Switch off the breaker before unplugging or removing any electrical devices
• Don't use a vacuum cleaner to vacuum wet carpet
• Place aluminum foil under the legs of furniture to avoid color transferring to the carpet
• Lift draperies off of the wet carpet
• Remove as many personal items as possible from the areas that are affected, such as jewelry and firearms

Call a restoration and cleaning company. Look for a company that will dry your entire structure and contents

• Find a company with experts in water mitigation
• Go to www.iicrc.org for referrals of companies approved by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC)

"Dealing with a home flood is stressful, but homeowners should take comfort that restoration experts will do their best to get their home back to the way it was," Bethea said.

Links

• Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification