Any day during hurricane season, the call could come. A storm approaches. After days of warnings and dissecting cones of uncertainty, you did the right thing by preparing for the storm and evacuating.
Once the storm passes, it’s time to assess how soon you make your way back home. Odds are you want to return as soon as you can. Hopefully, you can get in touch with your landlord or neighbors to get an idea of what the situation is like. And, you decide to pack up and head back.
But, before you go, there are many things to consider, from the safest way to get back, what you need to prep for your return and what to do once you get there. Where to start?
Apartments are different than homes after a hurricane
Living in an apartment is different from living in a house post-hurricane. If there’s damage, your landlord is responsible for much of it, and will hopefully coordinate with you on how to best approach the next few days and weeks. It’s helpful to have that advocate right on site who runs the property.
But, conversely, there’s just one landlord and dozens and possibly hundreds of tenants. Your landlord is also helping scores of other residents, as well.
And, frankly, the safety and operability of the building structure itself, the entranceways, lobbies and hallways, along with the utilities like heating, water and electricity, is their primary focus. Your wet carpets and damaged oven come second. Plus, their own personal home, and those of the building or complex staff, could have suffered damage they need to focus on.
To get you through the first few hours and days, here are a few tips for returning home after a hurricane to your apartment. We’re here to help.
Prepare yourself for your return home
Never forget, heading back home to your apartment after the hurricane has its own dangers. Just because the winds died down doesn’t mean the danger is past. You need to prepare and plan, know what you need to have and what you’re going to have to do.
Preparation and knowledge before you step foot inside will help you get through the next few days. However much you think you’re emotionally prepared to see your damaged home, it will probably hit you harder. If you can plan for the next steps, you can alleviate some of that emotional stress.
What to do before heading home
First thing first: Do not go home until the authorities say it is safe.
Even if it’s nice and sunny out, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Take guidance from local authorities via television, internet or social media when returning home after a hurricane. When they say it’s safe — and only when they say it’s safe — you can head back.
Leave prepared and travel safely
Start out by packing as much preparation gear as you can. If you’re able, grab tools and supplies, portable phone chargers, flashlights and personal protective gear like gloves, boots and masks. Bring food you don’t need to heat up and plenty of bottled water.
Be careful out on the road. Follow any and all signs or officials directing traffic. Roads will have debris, downed power lines, broken traffic lights and, of course, flooding. If you can, try to return in the daylight in case the power is out. Try to go early to get as much daylight as possible.
When you arrive back at your apartment building
Hopefully, you’ve been able to coordinate with your landlord or property manager. If you have an idea of the procedure for safely getting back into your apartment, follow it. If you haven’t spoken to anyone from the property, try to find someone when you arrive. They’ll be busy but hopefully, they will set up an information center in the parking lot. If signs are directing you on what to do, follow them.
If there’s any flooding, pooled or standing water, avoid it. Don’t park in it, don’t walk in it. It could be contaminated with some very nasty stuff from raw sewage to sharp objects, or electrified.
Remember, all of your neighbors will be arriving, too. It might be very hectic. Be patient. Check in with management if you can. But, if you can’t, just head to your apartment if it seems safe to do so.
First steps in assessing the safety of your apartment
Once you can safely get to and into your apartment, if there’s damage, that’s when the real work begins. Whether there’s just a little damage or a lot, there are a few things to make everything safe and manageable after returning home after a hurricane.
If your apartment closes up for a few days, open up the doors and windows for it to air out. Do this for at least 30 minutes before staying inside. If there’s no power, use only flashlights and battery-operated lanterns. Don’t burn candles or torches. There could be gas leaks anywhere.
Be aware of dangers as you check out your place
Speaking of gas, if you smell any, you will need to turn off the supply gas valve for each of your appliances. Then contact the landlord, or call the gas company or fire department and stay out until cleared.
If the apartment floods, do not wade through water without waterproof boots tall enough to not allow water in. Even without flooding, if the carpets are wet, wear protective shoes. And in either scenario, make sure you don’t plug in or turn on anything touching standing water or wet carpets. Stay away from wet outlets.
And, seriously, be aware of wildlife. You wouldn’t believe where snakes have been found after a storm. Doesn’t matter if you’re on the fifth floor. You have no idea what the wind and water took with it. Same with rodents and tropical bugs. Look out for leeches and roaches.
Lastly, inspect the walls, especially at the corners. If you notice any structural damage or hear unusual shifting, get out and tell the landlord or a first responder. The worst-case scenario is collapse.
Carefully inspect the damage to your stuff
No flooding, gas leaks or crumbling walls? Great. That’s a big step. Next is inspecting your personal property and living areas. As you walk around, consider a damaged apartment as a work zone. There likely are hazards you can’t see. Wear PPE like gloves, boots, safety glasses and dust masks (mold will be a big problem). Put on a hard hat — you’re never too safe. And, if your skin comes in contact with flood water, clean it immediately. We all have plenty of leftover hand sanitizer. Use it.
As you look around and assess damage to your stuff, be careful. This is all overwhelming, but be aware of your surroundings.
How to assess your losses safely
In the kitchen, bathroom or elsewhere, do NOT use any electrical appliance that is or looks wet. And — this is obvious — do not operate appliances or electric tools and items while standing in water or on a soaked carpet or floor.
When you open cabinets, be careful. Items may have shifted. You don’t want a pile of plates to fall on your head. Don’t use sinks or flush toilets until you’ve assessed if there’s sewage or plumbing damage. And, check smoke detectors and carbon monoxide monitors to ensure they are still working properly.
If the power is out and you decide to use a generator, keep it outside. Put it on the porch or outside the window. Same with a grill or camp stove to cook. Don’t have a place outside? Don’t use it.
If a particular room is severely damaged or dangerous, put up a barrier so others know the dangers when walking in.
And — we can’t stress this enough — if you suffer any injuries while cleaning up, particularly cuts and scrapes, seek medical attention. An open wound and dirty water is a recipe for infections like tetanus.
Dealing with water damage
If you were in a house you owned, water damage to walls and carpets would be top of your list to address. In an apartment, it still is. But, that’s the responsibility of your landlord. However, as we’ve said, he’s dealing with every other tenant’s issues, as well. But, water damage doesn’t care. You still need to act quickly.
You can still save carpets that have been wet from flood or rain for under two days.
Cleaning up and drying out
You can start cleaning and drying in order to save as much as you can before the landlord can get to it. If you have power and electricity is safe, start cleaning wet and damp fabric carpets with a wet-vac or shop-vac, or the vacuum function on a steam cleaner. Then, set up fans to dry everything out if you can. This all goes for furniture and anything upholstered, as well. But, you should remove anything waterlogged or items you can’t save from the home immediately.
If there’s still standing water, you can remove it with a water transfer pump or sump pump. But, assume you’ll have mold. And, your carpet padding is probably a goner.
Time to start fixing up
You’ve gotten your bearings and assessed that everything is safe. Whether you have a little damage or a lot, there will be plenty to clean up and fix up after returning home after a hurricane.
Start here. If you have broken windows, tape or board them up. You don’t want additional weather damage, vandals or bugs, birds and bears.
How to approach damage to your personal property
This is important: Before you do anything, document everything!
Take pictures and videos of every room. Take close-ups of severe damage. Get shots of anything that’s damaged, from clothes to electronics to food in the fridge, that you might claim on insurance or warranty.
Then, and only then, begin to separate out your damaged personal property. Make a list of everything that’s damaged and its contents. Write down what it is, including the brand, year purchased, place purchased and condition. After you’ve documented everything, you can start throwing out anything that’s water damaged or beyond repair.
Anything structural in your apartment from windows to carpets to outlets is the responsibility of your landlord. But, if you do need to purchase anything to make minor repairs for livability, save all bills and receipts.
Don’t make any permanent repairs without telling and getting approval from your landlord.
Your renters insurance and your lease
Now is a good time to mention renters insurance. Hopefully, you have it. Depending on your coverage and your insurer, you’re likely covered for storm damage from wind and rain for your personal items. If you’re lucky, you also have coverage for flood damage. Yes, even though it is the same hurricane, items damaged by rain and items damaged by flood waters are different things.
If you live in an area prone to it, hopefully, you were able to obtain flood insurance, as well. It is likely renters insurance doesn’t cover that.
This is why we insisted you document before you clean up. When you’re able, read back over your renters insurance policy and determine what it covers as far as damage and loss and what is not. For the items your policy covers — since you were so diligent in taking pictures and writing down everything — begin the process of filing your claims.
Patience with the process and further steps
Be mindful that literally millions of people will be filing insurance claims. The approval process will be very long and very frustrating. Be prepared to live with what you can for a while. This is another reminder that if you need to fix or buy anything, keep all your receipts.
As well, peruse your lease to make sure your landlord is providing all the care, repair and needs that they agreed to in your lease. Every lease, like every insurance policy, is different.
And, in the terrible situation where your apartment becomes unlivable in the short term, check both your renters insurance and your lease to see if you’re covered for temporary housing and accommodations. Your insurance may also cover living expenses like food or clothing.
But if your apartment is livable, there are ways to start living with it.
Short-term living with the damage
If you have minor damage or are able to clean and repair enough to stay in your apartment, you might be living in a messy apartment for a while until the landlord can get around to fixing everything in every damaged apartment.
The most important item is potable water. Do not use tap water unless you know for sure it is safe. If there is a local boil water advisory, heed it. That goes for drinking, cooking, washing clothes or dishes or hands or brushing your teeth. Use bottled water if necessary.
Do not eat food that has been in contact with flood waters. Do not eat refrigerated food that was without power for over 24 hours. If it smells or looks bad, don’t eat it. If you get delivery, tip that person a lot if you can.
Recovery is a long-term process
Remember, not everything hazardous will be apparent as you gleaned during your initial assessment. There could be hidden dangers from cracked water heaters to unseen mold. Talk to your landlord and have a plan to assure that everything is safe and livable. And, in time, things will get back to normal.
But, if the experience of returning home after a hurricane, physically or emotionally, has you thinking about finding another place, check out all the great availabilities in your area or anywhere around the country (or far away from the coast) on Rent.
For further details, check out the advice from the federal government on the FEMA and ready.gov websites.
