The Bay Area recently experienced an unexpected storm with a massive amount of rainfall! A storm this size is rare for our region, but because of our dry climate during most of the year, flash flooding can occur. It’s important to know and understand the dangers of floodwaters and what to do if your home is affected by water damage from a massive rainstorm or flood!

It is very dangerous to walk or drive through floodwaters. Only 6 inches of moving water is enough to knock you off your feet and potentially cause an injury and 12 inches is enough to float an average-sized car. Any decent-sized pool of water can cause your car to “aquaplane,” loss of traction on the road and make braking less effective, which can result in your car sliding out of control.

Floodwaters can also be hazardous because of the debris and contaminants they carry from the streets and backed-up drains. Water from a flood is typically murky and could contain unseen broken glass or pieces of metal that are sharp and may cause injuries. Especially in urban environments, the water is flowing through the streets and will carry any toxins or pathogens present on the streets or in the storm drains. Floodwaters are known for often carrying bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella, viruses like Hepatitis A, and Tetanus, a disease that affects the nervous system and can enter the body through floodwaters coming in contact with broken skin.

For these reasons, water from flash floods is considered to be Category 3 (grossly contaminated) water in water damage restoration terms. In a rainstorm like the one we experienced this October; water can enter a building in many different ways. Water damage can range from water dripping from a small leak to flooded basements. If your property has been affected by floodwaters, it is especially important to call a professional restoration company to mitigate the damage, as the process of restoring this type of damage requires special equipment and much more extensive cleaning, disinfecting, and disposal of affected materials than water damage from clean water.

In the unfortunate circumstance that your property is damaged from floodwaters during a rainstorm, we hope that you’ll choose Dry Kings Restoration to help get you back on your feet! We put our heart and time into making sure your property is restored to its pre-loss condition, if not better so that your life and routine can go back to normal.