Chubb Offers Tips on Salvaging Homes and Valuables Following Floods and Storms
WARREN, NJ, August 31, 2005 – In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, experts at the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies recommend
the following safety tips when returning home after a flood, hurricane or severe storm:
Use common sense and follow all emergency rules, laws and regulations. Saving your home and personal possessions, no matter
how important, is not worth losing your life or risking permanent injury.
• Enter your home carefully. If the door sticks, it could mean the ceiling is sagging. If you force the door open, pause to
allow debris to fall.
• Turn off electrical and gas sources at your home, even if the service is off in the area.
• Document structural damage and inventory contents as best as possible with video or photographs. Save samples of unique
structural features (i.e. moldings and wallpaper). Save samples of discarded items (i.e. carpets and upholstery). Retain samples
for insurance claims process.
• Eliminate excess moisture. Ventilate your home, opening windows and doors, and use fans to promote evaporation by exhausting
humid air outside.
• Floors, doors and trim. Though most wood will expand and deform when wet, it often returns to near its original shape as
it dries.
• Carpeting and rugs. Wall-to-wall carpeting exposed to flood waters should generally be discarded; however, area rugs can
often be salvaged and restored by professional cleaners.
• Wallpaper. The Federal Emergency Management Agency cautions that wallpaper paste may promote mold growth; so, wallpaper
that has been submerged will likely have to be removed and replaced. If your wallpaper has historical significance, you may
attempt to retain it based on the degree of damage.
• Flooded basement. If it contains only a few inches of water, you may be able to pump it out safely. If the level of water
in your basement is the same as the groundwater level outside your house, pumping the water from the basement will do no good.
Leave the water in place until the groundwater table sinks and the water recedes.
Salvaging water-damaged birth certificates, wedding albums, artwork and collectibles:
• Secure a storage area for your valuables. Find a cool, dry room that has good air circulation and set up slow box fans to
keep the air moving and prevent mildew growth.
• Birth certificates, deeds and passports. Take care of your most valuable articles first. Time is of the essence, and any
delay may make a big difference in the chances of survival for the document or artifact.
• Photographs and negatives. Remove photos from frames immediately when still wet, but do not wipe, touch or try to blot the
photos. If the photos were damaged by dirty water, rinse them gently with clean, cold water in a tub or sink and place them
on paper towels face up. Do not stack the photographs.
• Wedding albums. Place wax paper between each page and alternately expose each page to the air until the album is mostly
dry.
• Books. Stand damp books with their spines facing up, supported by their covers slightly apart and pages fanned and hanging.
Fan the pages every few hours. When mostly dry, lay the books down and make a stack with cooking parchment paper separating
each book so they dry flat.
• Loose papers and manuscripts. Spread them out on a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.
• Paintings. Do not touch the surface of the painting and do not remove the painting from the frame. Keep the painting face
up in a horizontal position, especially if it is flaking.
A leading insurer of custom, historic and other fine homes, Chubb also is noted for providing highly-regarded insurance products
and services for luxury automobiles, fine arts and antiques, and other valuable possessions. Additional information on Chubb’s
personal insurance offerings can be found at www.chubb.com/personal.
The member insurers of the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies form a multi-billion dollar organization providing property
and casualty insurance for personal and commercial customers worldwide through 8,000 independent agents and brokers. Chubb’s
global network includes branches and affiliates in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Australia.
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