Flood water
Flood water in the home, Missouri City
Rain that runs in through a door or comes up through a floor from outside is treated differently from a burst pipe, both by cleanup crews and by insurers.
Say the street address first. Calling soon after a loss helps.
Why it is handled differently
Surface water has been across yards, streets and drains. It can carry soil, fuel and sewage, so restorers treat it as heavily contaminated.
Porous materials that were wet with it, such as carpet, pad, insulation and low drywall, are usually removed rather than dried.
Hard surfaces and framing can often be cleaned and dried in place.
Insurance: the policy that applies
Texas Department of Insurance says most home policies exclude flooding and that a separate flood policy is needed. It adds that most flood policies carry a 30-day waiting period.
Read water damage or flood for how the two lines of coverage sort a loss.
Know your map
Missouri City publishes the FEMA flood insurance rate maps that cover it. Fort Bend County maps took effect on 2 April 2014, and Harris County maps and study on 9 June 2014. The city links an interactive map for an address lookup.
The page is Floodplain Maps on the city site. It also points to FEMA's Map Service Center.
A map zone does not predict a particular storm. It is a record of how the federal program rates a parcel.
What to do while water is outside the door
- Leave if officials tell you to. Cleanup can wait.
- Stay out of standing water that may touch electrical outlets or service panels.
- Photograph the water line on walls before it recedes.
- Do not run the HVAC or pump out a flooded space before you know the electrical situation is safe.
After the water is gone, call for help with removal and drying. Expect a thorough tear-out.
Water is still moving. Call about it now.
Describe what happened, give the street address, and the call is routed to an independent restoration contractor.