San Jose City officials are asking residents affected by flooding to use the Returning to a Flooded Home Checklist. Before returning home, please review this information (information directly from the city's website).
Here's a list of some of the important things residents should keep in mind:
• Before entering, check to see if there is any structural and electrical damage to see if it is safe to enter.
• If you have flood insurance, contact your insurance adjuster right away and leave a call back phone number where you can be reached.
• Start cleaning, salvaging, and drying as soon as possible. Do not wait on your insurance adjuster to get to your home. While doing so, document everything by taking pictures of all inventory.
• Double check that all electric and gas services are turned off before entering.
• Any food that was in a can and was not damaged can be saved. Be sure to clean the cans by taking off the labels, disinfecting the cans, and labeling again what the food is and the expiration date. Otherwise, everything else that was in contact the floodwater should be thrown away since it cannot be cleaned.
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• Regarding utensils, anything metal and ceramic can be saved by disinfecting them. Anything wooden or plastic should be thrown away.
• For all the furniture and carpets, it should all be removed, put outside, and be cleaned and dried. Some things are best to be replaced since the floodwater can contain toxins. There is also risk with mildew if furniture is left damp.
• In regards to walls, they should be open even if they may appear undamaged just to ensure that there is no mold, odor, and/or structural decay later.
• Clean and dry all household appliances before starting. Since electricity will be turned off, be sure to unplug everything, and then clean and then dry. This can take three days to a week, but doing properly, many appliances will be saved.
The full checklist is below:
