How to Inspect, Clean Up, and Re-enter Your Home After a Disaster

04/14/2023

When returning home after a natural disaster, there are ways to make sure you and your family are safe. There may be immediate dangers like contaminated water and wild animals or less obvious threats like structural damage to your home.

Follow these safety tips when re-entering your home.

• Return to your home only once local authorities say it’s safe. After a flood, don’t return until the water recedes. Check for announcements and instructions concerning the affected area, medical aid, and other forms of assistance, such as food, water, ice, and shelter. Get tips on staying up to date.
• If you expect minimal damage, inspect the area around your home before entering. Walk carefully outside your home and look for damaged power lines, gas leaks, and structural damage.
• If you are concerned that your home isn’t safe, or if there is significant damage and debris, leave the area immediately. Request an inspection by a qualified building inspector or structural engineer before entering your house. Don’t enter your home if you smell gas or see flood waters around the building. If your home was damaged by fire and hasn’t been declared safe by qualified officials, don’t enter.
• Flooding poses the risk of waterborne bacterial contaminations, so avoid floodwater.
• If it is safe to enter, use a battery-powered flashlight to inspect your home. Turn on the flashlight before entering, as the battery may produce a spark that could ignite leaking gas.

Check for threats outside your home.

• After an earthquake:

• Look around your entire house for signs of collapse or movement off the foundation.
• Examine the ground for fissures or shifts in the ground. Look for breaks in fence lines or other indications of nearby damage.

• After a wildfire:

• Look out for ash pits (holes resulting from burned tree roots filled with hot ash), charred trees, smoldering debris, and live embers. Mark them, and warn others to stay clear. There may be heat pockets that can burn you or spark another fire.
• Check the outside of your home, roof, and gutters. Wet them down to put out any smoldering sparks or embers. Call 911 if you see fire.
• Wear a respirator dust mask and wet down debris to minimize breathing in dust particles.

Check for threats inside your home.

Be careful when entering your home. Wear leather gloves and solid, thick-soled shoes with steel toes. Look out for loose boards and slippery floors.

• Pests: Watch out for pests, such as mice, rats, insects, or snakes, especially after flooding. Disasters and life-threatening situations will intensify the unpredictable nature of wild animals. Contact your local animal control, wildlife agency, emergency management office, or health department for specific information.
• Natural gas: Open a window and immediately leave if you smell gas or hear a hissing or blowing sound. If possible, turn off the main gas valve from the outside. Call the gas company. If you shut off the gas supply at the main valve, only a professional should turn it back on. Don’t smoke or use fire inside until you’re sure gas is no longer present.
• Sparks and broken or frayed wires: Assess the electrical system if you aren’t wet, standing in water, or unsure of your safety. If the situation is unsafe, leave immediately and call for help. If possible, turn off the electricity at the main fuse box or circuit breaker. Only turn on the lights when you are sure they are safe to use. You may want an electrician to inspect your wiring. Look out for power poles that may be unstable. Stay away from downed power lines and report them to 911 or the utility company’s emergency number.
• Roof, foundation, and chimney cracks: Immediately leave if there are any signs that the building may collapse. Look for cracks in the chimney’s mortar, which can pose a fire hazard or let in carbon monoxide. A certified chimney inspector can evaluate your chimney. Look out for any signs of damage, like exposed or cracked beams, roof leaks, and foundation cracks.
• Drywall, stucco, or plaster: After an earthquake, look for new or more significant cracks in the drywall, stucco, or plaster, including “stair step” cracks.
• Floor: Bouncy, soggy, or mushy floors can mean damage underneath.
• Attic: If your home has experienced a wildfire, check the attic. If you see smoke or fire, get out of the house and call 911.
• Stairs: Look for changes in the stability of staircases and whether the banister and supporting columns are secure.
• Windows and doors: See if any windows or doors are newly jammed or blocked. After an earthquake, look closely around windows and door frames for radiating cracks.
• Appliances: If appliances are wet, turn off the electricity at the main fuse box or circuit breaker. Unplug appliances and allow them to dry. Have the appliances and the electrical system inspected by an electrician before turning the power back on. After an earthquake, make sure your furnace and water heater connections are tight and not leaking.
• Water and sewage systems: Turn off the main water valve if any pipes are damaged. Ask local authorities before using any water. Pump out wells and have the water tested before drinking. Unless authorities have announced that it’s safe, assume that the tap water is not safe, and use properly stored water or boil your tap water. Do not flush toilets until you are certain that sewage lines are intact.
• Food and supplies: Carefully inspect all food and drinks. See more information about food safety in a power outage.
• Basements: If your basement is flooded, pump it out gradually (about one-third of the water per day). Do not pump the basement while the surrounding ground is still waterlogged, as the walls may collapse and the floor may buckle. After an earthquake, cracks and bulges in the basement floor and exterior walls can indicate severe problems.
• Cabinets: Be alert as you open cabinets for objects that may fall.
• Household chemical spills: Clean up and disinfect items that may have been contaminated by raw sewage, bacteria, or chemicals.

Clean up debris responsibly.

Any kind of cleanup work can be hazardous, but cleaning up after a hurricane, tornado, flood, wildfire, or other natural disaster requires special care and attention. If your home is damaged and your yard is littered with debris after a disaster, there are ways to ensure that cleanup is safe and environmentally friendly.

Check with your local government for cleanup procedures before disposing of debris.

You can expedite cleanup by separating debris:

• Yard debris like branches and downed trees
• Building debris like fences, roof materials, screens, windows, carpets, etc.)
• Regular garbage and trash

Put debris at your curbside, away from fire hydrants, trees, power lines, mailboxes, valves, or other items that could be damaged or make collection difficult.

Yard Debris

• Cut fallen tree limbs into sections of 4 feet or less (if you have experience and can do so safely).
• Stack material neatly at the curbside, separated from garbage.
• Put smaller or loose items (limbs, leaves, etc.) into sealed containers like garbage cans or clear plastic bags.
• Bundle piles of small branches and secure them with twine. Containers or bundles should weigh 50 pounds or less.

Home Debris

Keep building debris and building contents separate from vegetative material and regular garbage. Check for special requirements like designated disposal sites other than curbside.

Start cleanup once you know you can safely enter your home, and follow this checklist to ensure your safety.

• Wear protective gear like safety goggles, work gloves, hard hats, and thick-soled shoes.
• Consider other safety equipment the cleanup may require. You may need to wear a respirator after a wildfire. After a flood, wear protective boots to avoid contaminated water.
• Wash your hands and face often using soap and drinking-quality water.
• Don’t remove heavy debris by yourself.
• Downed or damaged trees might have power lines that could electrocute you. Don’t touch wet electrical equipment or any electrical equipment if you are standing in water. Turn off electricity at the main fuse box or circuit breaker if it’s safe.
• Take photos and video to record home damage before any repairs. Get more information about what to do if your home is damaged or destroyed.

Regular garbage and trash

Attempting to dry out the contents of your home can take several weeks, and if the humidity remains high, microorganisms may continue to grow. If the house and its contents are not properly dried out and you notice musty odors, consider throwing out the wet materials.

• Dispose of food that has come into direct contact with floodwaters or wildfire.
• Throw away canned or other packaged foods or drinks that appear dented or damaged.

Safety tips for debris cleanup

• Make sure debris doesn’t block storm drains, fire hydrants, the right-of-way, or pedestrian traffic.
• Keep children away from debris piles. They can be full of broken glass, nails, jagged wood, and other sharp items, as well as rodents, bugs, or other animals.
• Watch children carefully around heavy equipment and debris removal operations. Equipment operators may not easily see small children.
• Move your vehicles away from debris piles to make it easier for equipment operators to pick up the materials and reduce the possibility of damage.
• Drive carefully when behind trucks loaded with debris. Materials can fly out, causing an accident or driving hazard, so maintain a safe distance.
• Keep open flames, cigarettes, or other ignition sources away from debris piles, as they may contain flammable materials.

Remember your homeowners insurance.

• Contact your insurance company. Get more information on how to file a homeowners insurance claim after a disaster.
• Protect against further damage, like covering broken windows to prevent water intrusion.
• Take photos and video of any damage to your home before attempting any repairs.
• Keep records of repairs and cleaning costs.

More Resources

• FEMA Ready. Returning Home.
• FEMA. Helpful Hints on How to Spot Earthquake Damage.
• FEMA Ready. Hurricanes.