The National Flood Insurance Program or NFIP was created in the late 1960s by Congress to provide flood damage protection to home and business owners. This federal insurance program is available to homeowners, those who rent and business owners if their community takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program. Communities that do take part in the NFIP agree to enforce regulations that meet or exceed Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requirements to reduce flood risks.

It takes very little water to cause thousands of dollars worth of flood damage. The cost of NFIP flood insurance varies and is dependent upon how much coverage is bought, what it covers and the flood risk of the home or business.

NFIP flood insurance is available through most insurance companies. The rates charged do not differ from one insurance firm to another or from one agent to another. The amount you pay for coverage is dependent upon several factors including the age of your home/business and its construction and on your area’s flood risk level. If you have a home or business mortgage from a federally-regulated lender and are in a high risk flood area, you must have flood insurance.

All forms of NFIP provide coverage for buildings and their contents. However, if you are interested in getting NFIP flood insurance, you should speak to your insurance agent about insuring your personal property because coverage for contents is optional. You also should know that there is a thirty-day waiting period from the day you buy this insurance before the coverage begins. That means that the sooner you purchase flood insurance, the better because you never know when flooding can occur. In order to get NFIP insurance, you must pay for a full year’s coverage. You can make this payment in one of several available methods which includes check and credit cards.

If you are interested in buying NFIP insurance you can find an agent near you by visiting the floodsmart.gov website. There is an ‘agent locator’ tool on the site that is easy to use. Just enter your zip code and you will be shown a list of local agents.

You may have noticed that if it rains for many days, there is mold growth on walls and other surface areas of the house due to the humidity in the air. If the house or office where you stay is in a place that is close to a large water body, there are all the more chances of mold growths. In the basements, the pipes are in an area, which may not be frequently visited. In such a case, there are more chances of these leaks getting undetected till the area on and around these pipes become heavily mold infested. Leaks in roofs that leaks into the attic can also make molds proliferate. The basement has poor ventilation which attracts moist air, the perfect breeding ground for these fungi.

Flooding is often cited as one of the main causes for mold infestation. The water starts to clog and accumulate at the basement area and may remain that way for days or weeks, waiting to completely dry out leading to mold growth. There is high amount of condensation in basements which leads to humidity and moisture.

It is thus very important to prevent water source to prevent mold growth in basements. You should pay attention to the water leaks from pipes. Normally they go undetected because they are fixed inside a wall. You should also check the attic regularly for leaks and observe the ceiling for undesirable growths. Any sign of water damage may be immiedately attended to. Some people do use humidifiers to thwart moisture growth but then there are some molds that only need moisture level to be more than 55 percent to start growing. So in case you are using a humidifier, make sure that the moisture level is below 55 percent.

Mold growth is characterized by its musty, earthy smell. Water growth in basement or other moisture prone areas are also sure sign. Mold is characterized by its cottony, velvety texture and has colors ranging from green, yellow to blue and green. It is recommended that you invest in mold removal specialists who will not only detect and remove mold and mildew growths but also ensure that they remove all traces of further growth in future. If you want to remove mold yourself, you should wear rubber gloves, eye goggles and outer clothing in the form of long sleeves and long pants. Mainly, wear a N95 or a N100 type disposable respirator. Disinfecting the surfaces after cleaning is one of the most important things to ensure that you are able to wipe out all the traces of mold that went undetected during cleaning.

If you suspect that mold is growing in your home because you smell it or see it, you should get in touch with a mold remediation company asap. This type of company is able to analyze the mold damage and find the origin of the growth, deal with it and then remove and dispose of contaminated materials. It is never recommended to tackle a mold problem yourself – especially if you suspect the problem is widespread. A mold remediation company has the right equipment and know-how to make your home mold-free and safe to live in. The skilled personnel working at such a firm uses heavy-duty dehumidifiers, HEPA vacuums and special cleaning agents to properly clean and disinfect your home.

If you have a moisture problem inside your home or if you smell a musty odor, it is likely that you have a mold problem. If you notice that surfaces are discolored, that too is a sign of mold. It is important to know that mold cannot grow without moisture so it is very important to dry wet or moist areas within forty-eight hours to prevent mold from growing. This means if you have a leak or a flood inside your home, it is essential to completely dry and sanitize the affected area immediately.

While not all mold is harmful, some molds are very dangerous and can cause serious illness in both humans and animals. People with allergies and asthma are very susceptible to mold. Nearly anyone can develop health problems when exposed to high concentrations of mold for long periods of time.

It is never advisable to ‘take chances’ when you suspect that you have mold growing inside your home. If you have a continuously runny nose, watery eyes and a scratchy throat and do not have a cold, you could be showing symptoms of hidden toxic mold inside your home. There are mold test kits available on the market that can be used to determine if there is mold inside your home. If you use a test kit and it indicates that there is mold present, contact a mold remediation company quickly so that a full assessment of the mold problem can be done.

If you have not yet done so, make a visual inspection of your furnace. If there are visibly rusty parts, replace them. Be sure to change the filter so that your furnace does not have to overwork this winter. It only costs a few dollars to buy a new filter. You could end up saving yourself much more than that in fuel/electricity bills if your furnace does not have to huff and puff in order to reach the desired temperature because the filter is clogged.

If you have a fireplace and plan on burning wood in it this winter, have a chimney sweep come in to inspect and clean it. Also be sure that the fireplace screen you have is in good condition. It should fit tightly against your fireplace so that hot ashes stay put. When you clean your fireplace, place the hot ashes in a metal container with a tightly fitting lid. Unfortunately many devastating Michigan house fires are a result of hot embers being placed in garbage bags or plastic buckets which are then either left inside the home or placed on porches or inside entrance-ways.

Thousands of Michigan homeowners face dealing with frozen pipes each winter. You can buy pipe insulation kits at any hardware store. Insulate those pipes running through crawlspaces and in outside walls. If you are going away, turn off the main water supply to your home. If you have a well, shut the pump off. It is always wise to ask a friend or neighbor to drop into your home every day or so while you are away to check that everything is alright. Do not forget to leave your contact information with that person so that you can be reached if anything does go wrong.

On the outside of your home, knock down any large icicles you find hanging over the roof of your house. During typical Michigan freezes and warm ups, that blanket of snow and ice on your roof can result in ice dams. The melting snow and ice can seep under shingles and into your home, causing extensive damage. You can easily make an ice dam sock using one leg of a pair of pantyhose. Fill the hose with deicer, tie it closed and then place it across any ice dams on your roof. This will melt the snow and ice so that it runs down the gutters and away from your home.

The Southfield Freeway is reported to be flooded at many parts. Motorists that normally drive through the freeway may get stuck for long times because of flooding.

A section of the Southfield Freeway in Allen Park was shut down on Tuesday as the floodwaters from a nearby swollen Creek inundated the expressway. On Tuesday evening, expressway flooding caused major holdups for 109,000 motorists who travelled trough that section of the freeway.

The Southfield Freeway at Allen Park is closed for an indefinite period due to floodwaters. Alternate ways, such as Telegraph Road, are expected to be extra crowded today.

Several basements and roads were also reported to be flooded across the region. According to Rachel Kulik, meteorologist at National Weather Service, flood warnings are in effect in Macomb and Wayne counties until further notice is issued. Weather experts expect that most rivers in both the counties to crest by Wednesday morning.

Half an inch of snow is likely to fall early-morning Wednesday, with up to 2 or 3 inches expected by the rush hour in the northern counties of Oakland and Macomb.

High on Wednesday is expected to be between 36 to 38 degrees. Forecasters expect dry conditions for the remaining days of the week.

Metro Detroit residents struggled to keep themselves dry. Many residents across the area were seen battling swamped basements, inundated roads and flooded roadways as steady rainfall of about 2 inches fell all through Tuesday.

Dearborn Heights’ Department of Public Works was kept busy by the complaints of sporadic flooding. Flooded streets were barricaded in several areas of the city.

The Wayne County Lightfest, a yearly holiday event of light exhibit all along the Hines Drive, was canceled on the night of Tuesday due to flooding.

Dennis Niemiec, a Wayne County spokesperson, stated that the drainage system across the county is running at or above its maximum capacity.

Matt Mosteiko, a meteorologist at National Weather Service, flood warnings are in effect for the Clinton River and its North Branch in Macomb County and the Rouge River and its tributaries that run through the Wayne County.
No major flooding was reported from the Oakland County.

There are several health hazards involved if one comes in contact with water from the sewerage. It is common knowledge that sewer water is heavily polluted with parasites, bacteria and viruses. If this water enters your home it can contaminate the flooring, furniture, walls, carpets and upholstery as well as anything else it soaks. This causes a severe risk to the health of the family. All surfaces touched by sewer water have the risk of mold growth if it is not dried and cleaned early. This can cause respiratory problems and allergic reactions to people in the house.

Gas burners can be clogged and the control systems can be damaged with sewer water. The electrical supply can be affected and the mains should be immediately switched off in the case of a sewer backup. Electrical appliances can be damaged and there is a hazard of electrical shocks and these should be serviced by professionals after exposure to sewer water.

Once the sewer lines are restored, the house and the surroundings should be cleaned up and disinfected thoroughly. Most people would call for professional help but many would prefer to clean up by themselves. Here are a few tips on how to clean up your home after a sewer backup.
• It is necessary to wear protective clothing like coveralls, rubber boots, gloves and a face mask before attempting the cleaning up process.
• The second step is to gather all the cleaning equipment like buckets, mops, brooms, sponges, rags, gloves, detergents, disinfectants, trash bags, etc.
• The contents of the house which can be restored, like linen and clothes should be kept aside for washing with detergents, bleach and disinfectants.
• Items which cannot be restored should be kept aside to be discarded in the trash. Any food items which have come in contact with the sewer water should be discarded. Books, papers, carpets, rugs, soft toys, upholstered chairs, mattresses and medicines cannot be restored and should be thrown away as these can cause infection and bacteria to spread.
• One room should be tackled at a time.
• Two buckets should be used. One should contain the cleaning solution and the other to empty the dirty water into.
• Mops should be thoroughly rinsed after each application.
• The floor should be cleaned a few times over and over again, with disinfectants to completely eliminate contamination. They should first be cleaned with detergents.
• The windows and doors of the house and the doors of all closets and cabinets should be opened out to dry the interiors and remove mildew and humidity.
• A dehumidifier should be used.
• All surfaces in the house like the walls, tiles, furniture and counter tops should be cleaned thoroughly and dried.

It will take a few days for the house to be completely clean after restoration following a sewer backup and care should be taken to disinfect all surfaces.

Water damage tends to get categorized in stages and through a description of your problem the restoration company will have an idea of your needs. A small spillage that has not occurred over a large area will have a quick drying time. An insurance company would prefer to pay out for the costs of a water damage restoration company than to replace the whole carpet.

The next stage would be when a whole level has been flooded and a floor space and lower wall completely soaked. This is slightly more work but can be rectified relatively easily if dealt with in a timely manner. There is equipment available that does away with the need to replace large parts of your home or furniture. Through proper drying processes, things like mold, swelling and warping can be avoided or corrected.

Some of the worst kind of flooding is often the kind that comes from above and can damage walls and ceilings as well as the floors. This will require a high level of extraction of both visible water and non-visible moisture. Walls and floors of both wood and brickwork can all be at risk unless diagnosed properly.

With this sort of penetration a thorough survey of the building will be required to correctly prescribe what treatment will be needed. Things like desiccant or compressor driven dehumidifiers may be needed for a prolonged period. Other treatments could be needed like use of Injectidry systems to for brick and hardwood. These professionally carried out procedures are there to save you money and limit loss.

If you aren’t sure what a professional outfit can do for you then you should call and find out. Often Insurers reason’s for refusing to part with money for a claim is because a water damage restoration company wasn’t called quick enough. So if you are ever in the situation where you are unsure whether to call you shouldn’t hesitate to pick up a telephone.

1. Keep the ground sloped away from the home foundation. One of the main problems that are seen by homeowner is due to drainage sloped towards a home rather than away from the foundation. If the water is not drained away, it will find its way into the basement. With passing time, it is normal for roof to overflow with water and erode the area around the home, in such a way that the water remains stuck at the foundation. So the best thing to do in this case is to improve the slope manually by putting soil that leads to better runoff rather than having the water trapped at the foundation. You can use garden tools like rakes and shovels for these.

2. If your home is built into a hillside, you can make a swale. It may be difficult to get a good slope for hillside homes, so constructing a swale is one of the good things that you can do. This implies that one should dig a shallow ditch around the home to change the direction of the water to another place, rather than making the water move towards the structure. In some places, you can install drain tile in the swale area to improve site drainage.

3. Remove anything that is used in landscaping that can be a deterrent to water drainage from the foundation. Raised garden areas near the foundation can be main causes of water damage when there is no sufficient arrangement to drain water from the garden area. Similarly concentrate blocks of landscape and timbers are also another problem that can cause drainage issue when the basement is flooding. You can take sidewalks away from the foundation or change them with landscape stone that will not block drainage.

4. Sump pumps and foundation drain tile are your best bets when efforts to block drainage fail. This is a costly thing but may be a very good solution to prevent water coming into the living areas. In fact, in places where water tables are high, sump pumps are the only solution. But these things may not be simple to do for an average homeowner and one may need to spend on heavy equipment and laborers. Check with contractor of good repute to help you with constructing sump pumps to avoid basement flooding.

5. Find out from local building authorities if one needs to have licenses or permits for putting sump pumps or making any modifications to the housing structure. You can consult with the authorities who may have better tips nd ideas for specific improvement. Make sure you are quite careful with using ladder and electric tools in damn conditions.

After a few days of typical Michigan weather consisting of melting and freezing cycles, it is not uncommon for the melted snow and ice to work its way under the shingles on your roof until water finds its way into your attic. This water can do a considerable amount of damage to the walls, ceilings and contents of your home. Ice dams that are undetected over long periods of time can really take a toll on the structure of your home, resulting in a big repair bil for structure damage and flood cleanup service.

Ice dams are formed when the outside air temperatures are under the freezing mark for a few days in a row and when you have several inches of snow on your roof. One thing you can do to prevent ice dams is to maintain an attic temperature in the low twenties. While this is no guarantee that you will not get ice dams, it can indeed help. Be sure to eliminate any heat sources in your attic. Take a good look at the type of insulation you have in place in the attic as well as the ventilation. If your insulation is old, have it replaced and be sure that any and all vents are in good working order.

Michigan winters typically include a good deal of snow so be sure to remove the snow from your roof as soon as it accumulates over a few inches. There are some handy tools on the market that make this task easier by standing on the ground and ‘raking’ the snow off the roof. It is never advisable to climb on a snowy roof as you could easily fall so do the snow removal from ground level.

If you notice long icicles hanging along the edge of your roof, it is time to take action because they are a sign of ice dams. One temporary solution that works very well in melting snow and ice from your roof is an ice dam sock. You just need to buy a chemical deicer that is deemed safe for use on roofs and then pour the mixture inside the leg of a nylon stocking. Simply tie the stocking closed and then lay it on the roof so it crosses the dam and hangs over the gutter. Eventually the snow and ice will melt and a channel will have been created, allowing the water to flow down into the gutters and off the roof.

During cold weather, particularly in the winter season, some homeowners experience bursting pipes that cause unwanted water leaks. As a result, this can induce damage to the affected area. Such a situation is primarily caused by water that has frozen due to an extremely cold temperature. How does the freezing happen?

How Water Pipes Burst

Once water running inside the pipe freezes, a considerable amount of pressure occurs within the inner walls regardless of whether the pipe is made of iron, PVC plastic, or lead. As pressure increases, a water expansion occurs inside the pipe, causing the pipe to eventually burst. Even if the pipe is made of strong and durable quality of material, the increasing pressure and growing expansion of frozen water inside can still lead the pipe to burst in the long run. Most homeowners do not realize that their water pipes have burst caused by frozen water unless flooding starts to occur in their pipelines.

Preventive Measures

Most water pipes are insulated, which prevent them from bursting while some pipes are set on areas in the house that are hard to be reached by the freezing point of water during cold weather. Yet, there are areas of piping which are prone to freezing temperature. Professionals may recommend having the faucet slightly open with small drops of flowing water especially during winter. This is to allow a continuous flow of water inside the pipe, and this prevents it from freezing until the air temperature is warm enough to keep the water in the pipe from being frozen.

Another prevention method is to set the heater at a minimum of 65 degrees, enough to warm the interiors of the walls where the water pipes are located. The inner portion of the walls is considerably colder than its exterior so it can contribute to the freezing of water inside the pipes. When the temperature in the household is set to 65 degrees, it helps prevent frozen pipes. This is very helpful especially if the household members are away and will not be back soon. It is also important to check and clean the gutter. If the gutter is covered with snow and ice, make sure to clean it so that the melting snow can flow freely. Another option is to drain the water system to prevent the pipes from freezing. Be aware that this procedure is best performed by a professional.

What to Do When Pipes Burst

Now, if prevention was not conducted prior to the start of the winter season and water pipes have frozen and burst without warning, the best that a homeowner can do is to contact professional plumbers to handle the repair as they know best how to deal with the damage of fixing a broken pipe. If your property has water or flood damage you will need to call a water damage restoration company for cleaning up the flooding. Flood damage cleanup companies can assist you with water extraction, structural drying and repairs to your home.