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Clearing up after a flood - residents advice

Do not re-enter your house until all floodwater has been removed. Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service may be able to help you with pumping floodwater out of your house. Other residents may also need this help so you may have to wait your turn. If the water is still rising, there is no point pumping out - it will only come straight back in!

When flood water has subsided:

Do not re-enter your property until it is safe to do so
Do not switch on gas or electricity supplies until they have been inspected
Do not use food which has been in contact with flood water

The following help and advice will help you get back to normal as quickly as possible after a flood:

When floodwater recedes, it may leave a muddy deposit, as well as the distress of clearing up there may be structural damage to your property.
Remember that while sandbags help to keep water out, they will also keep it in as the water goes down.
The Yellow Pages lists details of qualified assistance such as plumbers and electricians as well as suppliers of cleaning materials and equipment. This can be found under "flood damage".
It may be necessary to contact utility suppliers to reconnect supplies.
Always wear rubber gloves to clean surfaces or move objects that have been in contact with the floodwater - the water will have been contaminated with sewage and other pollution.
Don't use electrical circuits or equipment exposed to flood water until these have been checked by a qualified electrician.
Don't dispose of damaged goods until your insurers have had a chance to inspect them.
While in the property floorboards, walls etc will continue to dry out. Any loose material and dust resulting from this should be vacuumed up on a regular basis.
Very young children should avoid playing directly on timber floorboards or any damaged tiled floors if possible - be aware of the risk of injury from sharp edges on tiles or raised nails in the floorboards until these have been repaired.
Contact your Doctor if you become ill after accidentally swallowing mud or contaminated water and tell him/her your house was flooded.

Insurance

Do not do anything until you've checked with your insurance company.
Contact your insurance company immediately if your home has flooded. The majority of household policies provide insurance cover for flooding. If you are a tenant and have taken out contents insurance, household contents, fixtures and fittings should be covered; it is normally the responsibility of your landlord to provide building insurance. However you are advised to check your policy.
If you are uninsured you will most likely be responsible for covering all costs of flood damage. Remember to keep records of flood damage (photos etc).

Flooding and Council Tax

The recent flooding has meant that many residents had to leave their homes. We have already been able to help over a hundred households by awarding them a Council Tax exemption, which means they will have no Council Tax to pay on the flooded property for an initial period of up to six months (this can be extended if structural damage is still being repaired).

In order to claim an exemption, properties must be unoccupied. If you would like further information or advice you should contact the Council Tax team as soon as possible on 01993 861040 or email local.taxation@westoxon.gov.uk

Rogue Traders

Get recommendations from family, friends and neighbours or look for a trader who is a member of an approved code scheme. Be very cautious about employing trades people who make cold calls.
Residents requiring help to clean and repair properties are warned to be on their guard when dealing with traders who knock on their door, without invitation, offering to carry out repairs or provide other services. If you suspect a 'rogue' trader or want further advice visit Oxfordshire County Council's Trading Standards web pages or telephone 01865 815331.
Remember to ask to see the ID of anyone who comes to work on your home and check their ID with a phone call, if you feel at all uncertain. Don't be embarrassed - genuine callers will understand.

Collection of damaged household items

The council will collect flood damaged items as soon as possible but cannot guarantee a same day service. To book a bulky household waste collection phone the Town Centre Shop on 01993 861020. Please state your name, address, a daytime telephone number and the items that you would like collected. Items for collection need to be placed at the front of your property by 6am on your day of collection.

It is essential that insurance companies and their assessors have given clearance to residents for items to be removed. Insurance companies may be prepared to accept video or photographic evidence of property but this should be taken prior to disposal.

If floodwater has damaged your property

If you are the property owner and insured, your insurers will most probably appoint a structural engineer or loss adjuster to carry out an assessment of your property and arrange repairs.
If you are uninsured you may have to arrange this yourself. If you are a tenant, you may be responsible for the repairs, depending on your property owner. Contact the Citizens Advice Bureau for further advice:
Witney: 01993 705691
Chipping Norton: 01608 641367
If your home is uninhabitable, and you are insured, your insurers may help you arrange emergency accommodation.

Temporarily staying in a caravan after flooding

If your property has been damaged by flooding, you may be staying in a caravan whilst remedial work is underway. In general, providing the caravan is sited within the garden of your dwelling and is to be used ancillary to the damaged property, planning permission will not be required.

Residents should, however, ensure that the caravan is removed on completion of the works to make the dwelling habitable. Further advice will need to be sought if walls or fences are to be removed to gain access to the land where the caravan will be sited, particularly if the property is a listed building or in a conservation area.

Similarly if the caravan is to be sited on land not in connection with the damaged property, further advice should be obtained. The caravan should not overhang a pavement or highway without advice and authorisation to ensure access for emergency and service vehicles. You are advised to contact Planning Services directly for further site specific advice.

People who are living in a caravan on their property because they have had to leave their home as a result of the flooding can also apply for an exemption from council tax.

To help us build up a picture of where and how many caravans are being used as temporary living accommodation, whilst post-flooding remedial work is underway, please use the online form to notify us. This information will also help us to respond to any enquiries we may receive about the siting of caravans in front gardens, etc as we will be able to confirm whether we have had prior notification about a particular caravan, and that it is exempt from planning permission and site licencing requirements.

It is also recommended the following measures are taken:

If you leave your property unoccupied please remember to secure it and lock all windows and doors. It's tempting to leave windows open to air your house but you should only do this while you are in the property. If you left your vehicle unattended during the floods, please try to recover it as soon as possible once the area is safe.
Use protective clothing such as wellington boots and household rubber gloves if involved in the clean up to minimise the risk of infection.
West Oxfordshire District Council will assist in collecting flood damaged domestic property for free.
Remove dirty water and silt from the property including the space under the ground floor if you have wooden floors. This space may need pumping out.
Wash down all hard surfaces with hot soapy water.
Use a domestic disinfectant (following manufacturer's directions as to concentrations) to wash over all hard surfaces after cleaning.
Clothing, bedding and other soft/fabric articles including children's toys etc should be laundered at the highest temperature as indicated on manufacturer's instructions. If this is less than 82⁰c the articles may still contain bacteria.
Other soft furnishings that have been contaminated and cannot be put in a washing machine on a hot wash (as above) will have to be professionally cleaned or if this is not possible may have to be disposed of.
Seek professional advice (structural engineer) if your property is damaged.

Reducing the risk of infection

General advice on protecting health following flooding and sewage contamination of the environment:

You need to assume that any water that has affected property and items could contain sewage, so follow advice on protective clothing and hand washing.
If your property has been heavily contaminated with raw sewage please contact the Council as soon as possible regarding disposal of property. Smaller items must be put into yellow clinical bags (available at Town Centre Shop, Welch Way, Witney) and left outside your property for collection. Please leave bulky contaminated items in situ and contact the Council to arrange for collection.
If you are on a private water supply and have been affected by flooding you should assume the supply may have been contaminated and is not fit to use without boiling. Even if you have a treatment method it may be the contamination is heavy (this may not be visible) and the treatment method may have been unable to cope with this. Therefore still treat water as contaminated and boil accordingly. Please contact the Environmental Protection & Enforcement Team on 01993 861000 for advice and testing.
Do not use food which the floodwater has reached. It may be contaminated.
Any utensils which have been in the floodwater must be cleaned and boiled in fresh water before use.
Experience from previous flooding has shown that any risk to health is small if proper precautions are followed. You do not need any booster immunisations or antibiotics.
Floodwater and sewage often leaves a muddy deposit that may contain bacteria and other micro-organisms.
If anyone in your family does become ill you should deal with it in the way you would normally.
Cover any cuts with waterproof plaster.
The single most important precaution is washing your hands in warm water with soap after any contact with flood water or sludge and particularly before eating or preparing food.

Food preparation and storage

Don't eat any food that has been covered by or come into contact with sewage or floodwater.
If there is a bottle fed baby in the house make sure their water is boiled and do not use bottled water unless it is recommended by a doctor or health visitor. Some bottled water is unsuitable for babies as it has too many salts for their immature kidneys to manage.
Wash your hands before and after preparing food.
Ensure all surfaces that food will come into contact with are sound and disinfected. If work tops and other areas show signs of damage, avoid food contact with these areas. Particularly make sure that the shelves including those in your refrigerator where food is stored are cleaned and disinfected.
Food preparation surfaces should be wiped down using hot tap water containing washing-up-liquid, and dishes and other utensils should also be washed in hot tap water containing washing-up-liquid. You could also use food safe disinfectant to sanitise the surfaces, dishes and other utensils.
All crockery, pots and pans should be thoroughly washed and rinsed with hot soapy water before using. If any of these are badly chipped or damaged do not use. You could use a food safe disinfectant to sanitise them after cleaning.
Frozen food that has been at ambient temperature for a few hours should be discarded in an appropriate manner. Check with insurers before disposal. Don't be tempted to try and salvage damaged food - including tins as they may be contaminated with sewage and chemicals left from the floodwater.

Reducing the risk of mould

Flooding can contribute to the growth of mould in homes, which can present a health risk, especially to people with asthma, allergies, other breathing conditions and those with a suppressed immune system. Advice on protecting against mould can be accessed at www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/mold/protect.asp

Gardens and play areas

Do not let young children play on affected areas until they have been cleaned down and restored to their normal condition. Children should always wash their hands after playing outdoors, especially before eating or preparing food.
Don't eat garden or allotment vegetables that have been covered by sewage or floodwater.
Although any health risk may be small, it is better to dispose of any contaminated produce and start again.

Please note you should contact your insurance companies regarding flood damaged property.

The information above is contained in a leaflet produced by the Council. Click to download the Flooding: Clean up advice leaflet.