What should I do if my documents are damaged by a flood?

Floods can happen fast, sometimes too quickly to rescue important documents from water damage. But don’t fret, all is not lost. Our readers offered some advice on how to salvage your records and other paperwork from the perils of excess moisture.

Alan Harder, Mortgage Broker at AlanHarder.ca.

Avoid Separating the Wet Documents

A successful recovery operation requires a comprehensive disaster plan and a well-organized disaster team. You should make developing a strategy and appointing a team a top priority if you haven’t already. If you already have a strategy in place, now is a good time to go over it again. Even the most comprehensive practice disaster plans can fall short of adequately addressing how to recover water-damaged patient records. When it comes to recovering damaged documents, one tip is to avoid separating individual documents when they are wet.

Stack water-damaged documents no more than 1/4 inches high to dry. Stacking clean, non-rusted window screens between stacks of bricks or wood blocks creates an efficient, high-circulation drying system. Documents may also be dried on a hard surface if absorbent materials are placed between the surface and the water-damaged papers.

4 Steps to Deal with Water-Damaged Documents

A leaking tap or heavy rainfall can flood an apartment or office space and documents, furniture and other important items can get damaged.
Here’s what you should do if your documents are damaged by a flood:

1.  Try to salvage any document that you can find even if it is underneath the water in a box or cabinet.
2. Find out which documents are missing from the salvaged documents to know if there’s a possibility of a replacement.
3. If the salvaged documents are still in the boxes, remove the documents and get rid of the boxes immediately to avoid mold growing on them.
4. Find a way to dry the documents with natural sunlight in an open space or on a dry surface with enough air blowing in the direction of the documents.

Adanna Jideofor is a PR Manager for My Speech Class. She’s also an experienced Copywriter, Creative Content Writer, and Voiceover Talent.

Jennifer Foster, Managing Editor for Authority Astrology.

Put Most Important Documents in a Dry Place

When dealing with water-damaged documents, one option is to recover the most important documents first. For more guidance on preparing, marking, and transporting boxes of water-damaged papers, contact your chosen disaster recovery service. Recovering your most important documents first will prevent them from getting more damaged than they already are. Keep them in a dry place where air can circulate better to let it dry faster.

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