Flood Survival: The Complete Guide on What to do Before, During, and After a Storm

FLOOD SURVIVAL

THE COMPLETE GUIDE ON WHAT TO

DO BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER A FLOOD

By Dwan Reed, PhD and Marian Finnell

Copyright © 2018 by Marian Finnell and Dwan Reed, Finnell and Reed Enterprises, LLC.

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

First Edition

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, contact Marian Finnell or Dwan Reed at completefloodguide@gmail.com or thecompletefloodguide.com.

Smashwords Edition

DISCLAIMER

This book is not intended to constitute professional advice; it is for general informational purposes only. This is a compilation of the personal experiences of the authors and the people they interviewed regarding two major flooding events in Houston — the Tax Day flooding in 2016, and the flooding that occurred as a result of Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.

All of the views and opinions expressed in this book are those of the authors and of those who were interviewed. Any information provided is based on their personal experiences with the floods and their respective professional expertise, shared here in the hope that their stories will be helpful to others. Unique and specific experiences associated with these types of events are such that other views may be applicable, as well.

Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this book was correct at the time of publishing, the author and publisher do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions resulted from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

This book is not intended as a substitute for the medical or mental health advice of physicians. The reader should regularly consult a physician in matters relating to his/her health, particularly with respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. The publisher and author are not responsible for any specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision, and are not liable for any damages or negative consequences from any treatment, action, application, or preparation, to any person reading or following information in this book.

The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee of the authors or publisher. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information.

We are not lawyers, and nothing in the book should be considered legal advice. You should seek appropriate counsel for your own situation.

References are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute endorsement of any websites, services, products, professionals, or other sources. Readers should be aware that the websites listed in this book may change.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE: Things you need to know if you live in a storm and flood-prone area

CHAPTER TWO: Before the Storm

CHAPTER THREE: During the storm

CHAPTER FOUR: After the Storm

CHAPTER FIVE Muck-out Advice

CHAPTER SIX Cleaning and disinfecting

CHAPTER SEVEN Beginning Reconstruction

CHAPTER EIGHT Flooded Automobiles

CHAPTER NINE Nasty Flood Water

CHAPTER TEN Children and Pets

CHAPTER ELEVEN People Stress

CHAPTER TWELVE Volunteerism

CHAPTER THIRTEEN Flood Insurance

CHAPTER FOURTEEN Selling your damaged home

CHAPTER FIFTEEN Stories shared by flood victims and heroic volunteers

CONCLUSION

Tips, Lists, and Resources

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

About the Authors

References

INTRODUCTION

Satellite picture of Hurricane Harvey, August 25-27, 2017

Marian, I’ve got to get off the phone. Water is coming into my house!

These words marked the beginning of Dwan’s first flood experience on Tax Day in 2016. A few streets over, Marian anxiously watched as the floodwaters approached her house and a knot formed in her stomach. Her home was not covered by flood insurance. Little did we both know that sixteen months later, we would be forced to endure an even more catastrophic flood – Hurricane Harvey.

After experiencing flooding and navigating the recovery and rebuilding process, we realized that the general public is as uninformed as we were about how to deal with being a storm victim. Bits and pieces of information are given to us by insurance agents, news media, FEMA representatives, etc., but nowhere is there a comprehensive overview of the whole situation and all of its variables. By sharing what we have learned through personal experience and subsequent research, we hope that the impact of a storm on individuals and their property will be lessened. It is mind-boggling how much financial loss and emotional turbulence occurs due to lack of planning and difficulty in obtaining essential information.

We both live in suburban Houston, Texas. The city was built with bayou systems and reservoirs that handled the heavy rains from the Gulf of Mexico for many decades. Now, neighborhoods built in the 1970’s and 80’s are experiencing flooding for the first time. Our city has been bludgeoned with 100-year storms three years in a row.

Changes in weather due to warming oceans, combined with urban development that paves over the natural land that once absorbed rainwater, are creating new hazards to populations in many areas of our country. The hurricanes that are making landfall are increasing in intensity, causing record amounts of damage and straining our overtaxed FEMA resources. These factors, and others out of our control, contribute to the perilous living conditions that an increasing number of people are living in. We have discovered that the only thing you CAN do is to educate yourself and be prepared.

The first part of this book begins with a segment on basic information for people who live in areas that are prone to storms and flooding. The second part will address actual storm preparation, survival and recovery. Because we believe that churches and other community organizations can be vital in the outcomes of individuals affected, we are including a chapter on how they can organize and prepare to be of service. Stories and interviews of Harvey victims and rescuers are presented at the end of the book.

Mental health is also a subject that needs to be addressed, as many people are taxed beyond their ability to cope with what has happened to them. This book includes a section on how to adjust emotionally and cognitively after a storm. The unique needs of children and pets during a flood crisis are also addressed.

It is our desire that this book will be a resource that will positively affect the outcome of anyone who experiences the devastation of a flood or other storm damage. It is also our hope that by creating more informed communities, we will be ready to face whatever Mother Nature brings our way next.

CHAPTER ONE:

Things you need to know if you live in a

storm and flood-prone area

The first thing you need to know is that places that were once relatively unaffected are no longer as safe as they used to be. Being too comfortable about where you live and taking the attitude of it has never happened to me before, so I don’t have to worry may cause you to be caught off guard and result in great loss. Flood zone mapping is always changing to keep up with development, and FEMA has reacted to changing weather patterns by reconsidering how to classify the zones. The Houston area has seen flooding that has fallen under the category of 500-year floods three years in a row!

Now more than ever, people are becoming increasingly susceptible to victimization by intense storms. Flooding is the number one disaster that occurs in our country, and it can happen almost anywhere. According to the Houston Chronicle (Sixel, 2018), three quarters of the homes that were flooded during Hurricane Harvey were outside of the Special Flood Hazard Areas.

According to the Texas Department of Insurance website (www.tdi.texas.gov), much of the state of Texas is susceptible to flooding, especially along the coast. Almost every major city in Texas is in an area that has a high risk of flooding.

What You Need to Know:

INSURANCE

INSURANCE: Having insurance for your home or business property is the best way to ensure you will have the necessary financial resources to help you repair, rebuild or replace whatever is damaged. Review your existing policies for the amount and extent of coverage to ensure that you are covered for all possible hazards.

FLOOD INSURANCE: Homeowner’s insurance does not cover flood losses, so it is smart to obtain federal flood insurance. It is a minor investment that could save your financial life. This insurance is issued through the National Flood Insurance Program, hereafter referred to as NFIP, as a collaboration between insurance companies and the federal government. It is funded by the federal government, and administered by private companies following the rules set forth by FEMA. If you already have flood insurance, learn about what you have by reading the Flood Insurance Claims Handbook that FEMA sends to all its policyholders.

There is also private market flood insurance available; however, this book will not attempt to review and make recommendations on the private market policies. If you are interested in researching the options in the private insurance market, just Google private flood insurance, or talk with your insurance agent.

Flood insurance is pretty complicated, so a summary of the flood policy and FEMA literature will be provided in a later chapter.

HOMEOWNER’S INSURANCE: Make sure you understand what kind of damage coverage you have regarding wind, hail, etc. If you live near a coast, you may need to buy a separate policy to cover wind damage caused by tropical storms.

RENTERS INSURANCE: If you rent, you are responsible for purchasing coverage for your belongings. Renters need to purchase a separate policy for flood damage, as well.

AUTO INSURANCE: Your automobiles will not be covered for flood loss unless you have comprehensive coverage, which is not mandatory. You may be tempted to drop it when your vehicle is paid off and getting older, but don’t. Keeping it will guarantee that you will not get stuck with unexpected car payments when that paid-off car gets ruined.

It is important to be very organized with your insurance documents. File a copy of all insurance policies and declaration pages in an easily accessible location. Make a separate file for each policy. If you can’t get the flood policy from your agent, it can be found online.

Insurance policies can be very murky and hard to interpret. Not all insurance company employees are a reliable source for understanding your policy. If you want to be sure you have optimal coverage, you may want to have your policy looked at by someone with legal expertise.

As soon as the storm was over, I went to my insurance agent’s office to get a copy of the flood policy. The receptionist was not trained enough to know that the declarations page is not the policy, and there were no agents available in the office at the time to help me. So my husband searched online for it and printed it. When I called the company that sold us the policy, I was given misinformation. It was only after pouring through my insurance file that I finally found the correct company to call and get our claim filed. --Marian

STORM INFORMATION AND WARNING SYSTEMS

Know your area’s storm warning system and find out where to get up-to-date information during bad weather. Find out what type of tornado warning system your community uses. Decide which TV station gives the most accurate weather information, and have a good weather app loaded onto your cell phone. At the time of this writing, FLASH weather alerts provides a mobile NOAA weather radio with all kinds of life-saving information. For more information on how you can get federal weather alerts and customize your settings, go to www.flash.org/weatheralerts.

The National Hurricane Center has a site with trending tropical weather information. At www.nhc.noaa.gov, you can find out about newly named storms, what danger they pose, and where they are expected to affect land. The National