Steps to Take If Your Niceville Home Has Flooded

If you are a homeowner in Niceville, chances are you are quite familiar with flooding issues the homes and businesses in the city of Niceville often experience. Niceville has low elevation and high-risk areas that are surge zones. In fact, FEMA has designated Niceville, Florida as a flood zone.

Steps to Take If Your Niceville Home Has Flooded

Even though it is not yet hurricane season in Florida, considering the surge zone and low elevation issues of Niceville, even many days of heavy rain could cause your Niceville home to flood. However, the flooding could also be caused by a water leak in your home.

Whatever the reason for the flooding, it is a fact that homeowners in low elevation and surge zone areas pay heftier insurance premiums. That is one very good reason if your Niceville home has flooded to call Noble Public Adjusting Group even before you file your homeowner flood insurance claim.

But your immediate priority is the safety of your home and family, the team at Noble realizes that and wouldn’t have it any other way. With that said, below we would like to offer you some immediate steps you can take:

Safety First

The Federal Emergency Management Agency warns that you should check for any visible structural damage, such as warping, loosened or cracked foundation elements, cracks, and holes, before entering the home. You should also contact utility companies if you suspect damage to water, gas, electric, and sewer lines.

It’s important to have a working flashlight and turn off all water and electrical sources within the home,” says Dr. Maurice A. Ramirez, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Disaster Preparedness. Dr. Ramirez goes on to say, “Even if the power isn’t operational, it’s a good idea to go to your fuse box and turn off the main, plus all of the individual fuse connections. That way, if the power is reactivated, you’re not at risk for mixing standing water and electricity.”

Take Pictures

Before you remove any water or make any repairs, fully document the damage from the flooding to your Niceville home to use in your homeowner insurance claim. You can do this by taking photos or making videos. Digital versions of your proof of damage are best.They can be stored electronically and easily copied. If you start removing water or making repairs before you photograph or record the damage, you could potentially decrease the amount of your insurance settlement.

Protect Your Health

Even if the water in your home is clear, it could be contaminated by sewage or household chemicals. We recommend wearing waders, hip or waist-high, waterproof boots. Wear rubber gloves to remove water-damaged possessions and to avoid contaminants. Be sure to throw out any food that may have come into contact with flood waters. In times of flooding catastrophe, FEMA recommends boiling water until authorities declare the water supply is safe.

Call Noble Public Adjusting Group

Once you have secured your Niceville home to assure the safety of you and your family, it is time to call us at (850) 249-MYPA, (6972). A professional public adjuster from our fully-staffed firm will come and give you a free flood inspection. Just have your homeowner insurance policy that covers flooding handy. We will go over the policy with you, using a fine tooth comb. We will assume that since you live in Niceville, you have been paying heftier flood insurance premiums that homeowners in other regions. This will make us even more motivated to make sure you get the best possible insurance settlement for your flood insurance claim. You have paid a hefty price for living in Niceville, so you should get a hefty settlement.

Noble will handle getting everything started. Our public adjuster will call your insurance representative. We will call one of our reputable water restoration contacts in the Niceville area to get the ball rolling on clean up, repair, and replacement issues of your structure and the interior contents of your home.

One very important thing to note. If the flooding of your Niceville home is severe enough that you and your family have to leave, Noble can get you full-reimbursement for the cost of a hotel. If you call us the minute you have a flood, we can even set up the cost of housing for you on the insurance company’s dime. 

Mitigate Mold Damage

We would be remiss if we didn’t discuss the huge possibility of mold damage. “Mold can develop within 24 to 48 hours of a flood,” says Ashley Small of FEMA. Your water restoration specialist is quite aware of this danger and they will remove wet contents, including carpeting and bedding, as soon as possible. If an item has been wet for less than 48 hours, it may be salvageable. However, you’ll need to decide whether it holds enough monetary or sentimental value to try to do so. Your water restoration specialist enlisted by Noble Public Adjusting Group will consult with you about precious items in your home you may not want to part with before any removal is done. They will also take more photographs for the insurance company before removing wet wall boards and baseboards. The insurance company’s adjuster will want to see the height of any water damage to walls.

A flooded home is no laughing matter. Neither is your ultimate settlement from your insurance company. Noble is well-known for getting homeowners on average 747% more on their settlement than they would have received had they not called us first. We are the best and most trusted public adjuster in the Florida Panhandle. Call us today.

Noble Public Adjusting Group
(850) 249-MYPA, (6972)

 

 

 

 

 

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