What to do if Your Business Floods

Is your company prepared for dealing with a flooded business and the resulting damage and fallout? Even if your business is located in an area with generally low risks of flooding and even if you already have extensive Habitational Insurance, it’s important to have a game plan ready in case your business floods. Serious flooding and water damage can harm your physical store, force a closure and lost sales, cause significant amounts of money and more. The good news is that you can learn how to handle a business flood now in order to be prepared and minimize further damage in the event your store should ever experience flooding.

Carefully Document All the Flooding Damage You Can Spot

The first and perhaps most important step to take after your business floods is to document as much damage as possible. Having thorough documentation of all the damage you can spot may prove immensely helpful for insurance purposes later. Make sure to:

  • Take photos of all the damage you notice
  • Make a list of areas you believe were damaged as a result of the flood
  • Take a video tour through the business for additional evidence
  • Save backup copies of all of your flooding documentation
  • Consider sharing your documentation with your insurance agent right away

Shut Your Utilities Down and Make Sure the Property Is Secured

Next, shut down your utilities and secure the property to prevent further damage and to keep others from potentially getting hurt. Remember to:

  • Shut off your water main
  • Turn off gas and electricity mains
  • Check your pipes and plumbing, if possible, for potential leaks
  • Limit access to the building to essential employees only
  • Put up security cones or signs warning passersby to keep away

Call Your Insurance Company and Book Restoration Services

Lastly, get in touch with your insurance company and with restoration services as soon as possible to get your business back on track and avoid too much lost revenue. In this step, it’s important to:

  • Contract with certified technicians to help repair the store structure, address and prevent potential mold, and remove excess water
  • Find a water damage restoration specialist that can help you rebuild damaged parts of your business
  • Contact your flood insurance provider right away to report the damage, provide proof, and start a claim if necessary

Even if you’ve preemptively prepared your business with the best Habitational Insurance you can find, it’s still critical to have a detailed game plan laid out in case your store experiences flooding. Floods can cause significant water damage, loss of revenue, financial and legal headaches and more, so it’s important to know how to deal with flooding as soon as it happens. If your business ever floods, make sure you remember to document all flooding damage carefully, shut down your utilities, secure the property, call your insurance company right away, and book restoration services.

About Haughn & Associates

Founded by Michael Haughn in 1986, Haughn & Associates is a full-service, family-owned, independent insurance agency based out of Dublin, Ohio. H&A strives to provide the best possible price and unique insurance solutions across a myriad of industries, including construction, IT, Habitation & Commercial Property, Agriculture, and Engineering. Devoted to providing the best of business insurance, life and disability insurance, personal insurance, employee benefits, and bonds, H&A is proof that success lies in long-standing client relations and satisfaction. To learn more about how H&A can be of service to you, contact us at (877) 802-2278.