How & when to enter a building damaged by a disaster:

Safety advice for entering flood-damaged or other disaster-damaged buildings. DO NOT ENTER a Building Under These Circumstances (list).

SAFETY PROCEDURES When Planning to or Actually Entering a Building Damaged by Flooding, Fire, Earthquake, Other Disaster.

This article describes when & how to safely enter a flood-damaged building after it has been flooded. We discuss when to stay out, when you can enter, and safety considerations on entry of flooded buildings.

Adapted and expanded from Repairing your Flooded Home, American Red Cross & FEMA & from additional expert sources.[1] NOTICE: neither the ARC nor FEMA have yet approved the additions & expansions we have made to the original document.

The editor/author of this page, Daniel Friedman, worked performing damage assessment following disasters including the Northridge Meadows earthquake described at EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE PHOTOS CA 1994 

Building Entry Safety Procedures in a Disaster

Procedures for Entering a Safe, Disaster-Damaged Building following an Earthquake, Fire, Flood, Hurricane, Windstorm, or other Disaster

Hazards in and around flooded & other damaged buildings include

risk of structural collapse, risk of septic system collapse, trip and fall injury hazards, electrical shock hazards, fire and explosion hazards where natural gas or bottled gas are present, toxic sludge and materials containing waterborne bacteria, such as the E. coli and Enterococci bacteria, toxic mold growth indoors.

When entering buildings, use extreme caution. Building damage may have occurred where you least expect it. Watch carefully every step you take.

Our page top photograph shows a flooded home in Jasper, TX.

If your building has been flooded, this website provides an easy to understand guide for flood damage assessment, setting priorities of action, safety, and we provide special information about avoiding or minimizing mold damage.

Watch out: Do Not Enter a Building Under These Circumstances:

• Avoid disaster areas: 
  
  Your presence might hamper rescue and other emergency operations, and put you at further risk from the residual effects of floods, such as contaminated waters, crumbled roads, landslides, mud flows, and other hazards.
• Buildings that have not been declared safe:
  
  Avoid entering ANY building (home, business, or other) before local officials have said it is safe to do so. Buildings may have hidden damage that makes them unsafe.
• If the building is still flooded, burning, moving:
  
  Flood waters often undermine foundations, causing sinking, floors can crack or break and buildings can collapse.
• Collapse, explosion, or fire hazards are present:
  
   If the building is damaged or has moved off of its foundation: Damage to the building may mean that there is a risk of collapse. buildings which have moved off of their foundation - ruptured gas or electrical lines are extremely dangerous.
  
  See EARTHQUAKE DAMAGED FOUNDATIONS
  
  and FLOOD DAMAGE TO FOUNDATIONS
  
  Even the smallest shift of a building on or off of its foundation, possibly less than an inch, can rupture gas piping or electrical wiring, creating a dangerous condition.
  
  See FOUNDATION INSPECTION & DIAGNOSIS
• Crawl spaces (or flooded basements) that are unsafe 
  
  should not be entered - see CRAWL SPACE SAFETY ADVICE
• Electrocution hazards are present:
  
  If there are live electrical systems or wires: Where electrical wiring is live and wet or under water or even simply standing in water or on a wet surface without special protection can lead to a fatal electrical shock.
  
  See ELECTRICAL INSPECTION SAFETY. Below we also warn about use of electrical generators.
• Gas explosion hazards are present:
  
   If there there are damaged, loose, or broken gas piping or other fuel spills that could result in a fire or explosion. Make sure that all of the utilities, electricity, gas, even water, have been safely shut down.

Safety Procedures When Planning to or Actually Entering a Building Damaged by Flooding, Fire, Earthquake, Other Disaster

• Review the FIRST PRIORITIES before entering
  
   a flooded, storm-damaged, or earthquake damaged building.
• Animals,
  
  watch out for invading or disaster-stranded animals, especially poisonous snakes, that may have come into buildings with the flood waters. Use a stick to poke through debris. Flood waters flush snakes and many animals out of their homes. Trapped rats, raccoons, even dogs and cats are likely to be frightened, defensive, desperate.
• Continue to listen to a NOAA Weather Radio:
  
  or local radio or television stations and return home only when authorities indicate it is safe to do so.
  
  Flood dangers do not end when the water begins to recede; there may be flood-related hazards within your community, which you could hear about from local broadcasts.

• Collapse dangers in damaged buildings 
  • Examine walls, floors, doors, staircases, and windows 
    
    to make sure that the building is not in danger of collapsing.
  • Foundations
    
     & masonry walled structures should be inspected for
  • Horizontal dislocation 
    
    of the building (meaning broken gas lines, etc)
  • Leaning, bulging, bowing foundations;
    
    bulged concrete block foundations are particularly prone to sudden collapse.
  • Cracks or other damage.
    
    Cracks and damage to a foundation can render a building uninhabitable if the damage is severe enough that there is risk of a building collapse. So some evaluation should be made of the basic safety of the structure.
    
    A block foundation wall bulged-inwards more than an inch, or leaning walls that have moved enough to pull apart building framing connectors are particularly dangerous.
    
    Details are at FOUNDATION CRACKS & DAMAGE GUIDE

• Crawl space hazard summary: 

Flooded crawl spaces may be contaminated with sewage bacteria, mold, rodents, or chemicals.

Flooded crawl spaces may be in danger from collapse of the structure overhead.

There may be a danger of electrocution in crawl spaces, especially wet ones, if electrical power remains on.

Crawl spaces may be particularly dangerous for a variety of reasons such as the presence of sewage, mold, asbestos, rodents, snakes, chemicals, pesticides, or structural collapse hazards.

See CRAWL SPACE SAFETY ADVICE.

 

• Drinking water: some possible sources of drinking water are described at How to Obtain Emergency Drinking Water. If the purity of a water source is suspect or unknown the water will need to be disinfected or sterilized.
  • Drinking water wells that were inundated by flood waters should be pumped out and the water tested for purity before drinking. See our well sterilization procedure using household bleach which is detailed at
    
    WHEN & HOW to CHLORINATE or SHOCK a WELL
    
    If in doubt, call your local public health authority. Ill health effects often occur when people drink water contaminated with bacteria and germs.
  • If drinking water is of questionable purity,
    
    boil the water for at least five minutes, and/or add bleach, and/or distill drinking water before using if a distiller and electrical power or an alternative heat source are available. See information on water treatment under the "Disaster Supplies Kit" section of some public documents.
• Drywall & Plaster collapses: 
  
  watch for loose plaster, drywall, and ceilings that could fall. Notice sagging in drywall ceilings and watch out for cracked plaster ceilings that have come loose from the supporting lath.
• Electrical system damage.
  
  If you see sparks or broken or frayed wires, or if you smell burning insulation, turn off the electricity at the main fuse box or circuit breaker. If you have to step in water to get to the fuse box or circuit breaker, call an electrician first for advice. Electrical equipment should be checked and dried before being returned to service.
• Fire hazards.
  
  There may be broken or leaking gas lines, flooded electrical circuits, or submerged furnaces or electrical appliances. Flammable or explosive materials may travel from upstream. Fire is the most frequent hazard following floods.
• Food 
  
  that has come in contact with flood waters should not be eaten - throw it away. Some canned foods may be salvageable. If the cans are dented or damaged, throw them away. Food contaminated by flood waters can cause severe infections.
• Gas leaks & explosion hazards: 
  
  Check for gas leaks. If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a window and quickly leave the building. Turn off the gas at the outside main valve if you can and call the gas company from a neighbor's home.
  
  If you turn off the gas for any reason, it must be turned back on by a professional. Watch out for gas leaks in flooded or earthquake damaged buildings - flooding and earthquakes as well as hurricanes and some other disasters move buildings & causes gas line leaks.
  
  Building damage & movement may not be obvious. Even a very small movement, an inch or less, can rupture gas lines.
  
  Do not Smoke Near or Inside buildings that Have not Been Declared Safe -
  
  a ruptured gas line or leaking gas from appliances could cause a gas explosion and fire. Do not smoke inside buildings. Smoking in a confined area can cause a fire or gas explosion.
  
  Do not turn electricity back on in a building where gas leaks could be present. Use a sealed flashlight for inspection, not a plug-in light.
• Lighting: Use battery-powered lanterns or flashlights when examining buildings. Battery-powered lighting is the safest and easiest, preventing fire hazard for the user, occupants, and building.
• Mold, Muck, Insects, Toxic Sludge & Toxic Dust Hazards 
  
  exist in flooded or storm damaged buildings - a mixture of household chemicals, paints, stored gasoline, lead, sewer or septic system backup, debris and possibly asbestos.
  
  Do not begin cleanup efforts without understanding the hazards that may be present and be sure to use the necessary protective clothing and equipment.
  
  See FLOOD RESPONSE CHECKLIST
  
  Mold warning:
  
  If there is extensive visible mold, or if there is or has been sewage contamination, wear a HEPA-rated respirator during your initial walk-through, and if you are asthmatic or otherwise at particular risk, stay out of the building.
• Photographs:
  
   Take pictures of the damage, both of the building and its contents, for insurance claims.
• Protective clothing & gear:
  
  
  • Shoes:
    
    wear sturdy shoes. The most common injury following a disaster is cut feet caused by clambering through damaged structures.
    
  • Gloves & eye protection:
    
    don't touch moldy or contaminated surfaces or materials with your bare hands; if in an emergency (rescuing someone) you must do so, certainly wash your hands as soon as possible after touching suspect surfaces or materials; certainly do not put a moldy or dirty finger in your eye nor in a cut.
• Septic system hazards:
  
  include sewage-contaminated floods in buildings and risk of collapsing septic systems.
  
  See SEPTIC & CESSPOOL SAFETY; rope off and prevent access to areas over or close to the septic tank until its condition has been investigated.
  
  See SEPTIC SYSTEM FLOOD DAMAGE REPAIR for advice on repairing septic systems that have been flooded.
• Sewage and water supply line damage.
  
  If you suspect sewage lines are damaged, avoid using the toilets and call a plumber. If water pipes are damaged, contact the water company and avoid using water from the tap.
• Teamwork - Do not work alone:
  
  if you fall or are injured and are alone you may not receive prompt assistance.
  
  If you must work alone despite this advice, be sure you have a working radio or cell phone to use to summons assistance. etc.
• Utility lines (electric, gas, sewer, water) that are broken:
  
  should be reported, such as electrical, gas, water or sewer piping to the appropriate authorities. Reporting potential hazards will get the utilities turned off as quickly as possible, preventing further hazard and injury.
  
  Check with your utility company now about where broken lines should be reported.

...

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Continue reading at ELECTRICAL SAFETY for Flood Damage Inspectors or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see our FLOOD RESPONSE CHECKLIST that lists key actions you should take after building flooding to minimize mold damage, and includes some safety warnings.

Or see these

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