Black water is the most harmful classification of contaminated floodwater, as it can contain sewage, seawater, and more. Evacuating your business premises is the first thing to do after a black water flood. After you have ensured the safety of your employees, it’s time to get to work repairing your business. But where do you start after such an event? Here’s a short breakdown of how to deal with black water flooding in your business.
Prevent Further Damages
Prevent further damage to your building and property by turning off the gas and electricity in the building yourself or contacting your gas and electric providers to do so immediately. You also want to turn off the water to prevent harm to drinking water and pipes in your building. Floodwaters can be highly dangerous to utility systems, and damages can cost thousands of dollars in repairs. We don’t recommend reentering any building areas that the black water has affected. Only professionals can enter places with black water damage safely. So call a professional water damage remediation company immediately.
Contact Your Insurance Company
If you invested in flood insurance for your company, contact your insurance agency and report the event. Once you’ve called a water damage remediator and it’s safe to reenter the building, take stock of the damages so that you can file a thorough report and claim with your insurance company. You must document damaged belongings, damage to the property, structural damage, and any other effects of the flooding that you can note. Completing this process as soon as possible helps speed up the time it takes for your claim to process. As a result, you’ll get your business back on track sooner.
Contact Employees and Customers
The difference between a home flood and a business flood is the level of impact that the latter has. You must contact your employees and customers to let them know of the incident. Inform all employees about the status of your business and when it will be safe to resume working. Additionally, give customers a heads up about the event. If you ship products directly to customers, inform them that their orders will become delayed due to the event, when they can expect shipping to resume, and how to contact your business with questions.
When your business experiences a flooding event, especially with black water, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and unsure where to start the road to recovery. In these cases, immediate action can make all the difference in your business’s recovery, so remember these tips for how to deal with black water flooding in your business. It helps to be familiar with your local water remediation and removal experts, so contact Aloha Restoration, Co. if your business is ever in need of water or mold removal in the Vernon Hills area.
