Hurricane Isaac and its cohorts have had their ways with a lot of sections of our country. Many people have to return to and deal with homes damaged in ways which most of us are wholly unprepared to handle. The web has a lot of articles about how to salvage flooded flooring, as well as articles on other elements of disaster recovery. Some are too basic to be helpful, or only list the questions one needs to ask one's self, rather than actually offering some of the answers. Many of them come businesses which provide those services. That doesn't mean they're bad pieces, or mere dangled carrots to reel you into their sites, but I wanted to look for articles from sources which I was sure had no other goal than to help, and to find some with really good tips.

Here is what I found.

Good to Read Before You Start

• The Philadelphia Inquirer offers some tips for cleaning up after flood damage. It's a good preliminary read to help you know what to keep in mind as you prepare to start.


 

• This next one is even more detailed, but the best thing about

  the Flood Clean Up Instructions from Missouri's .gov site is that it is in a kind of order, starting with what to do first - not just in cleanup, but as you approach the house itself. It has safety tips, recovery tips and preventatives. Another good piece to read in preparation.

 
• This page is the short table of contents for an indispensable series of detailed articles on handling post-disaster recovery. They come from the University of Idaho Coperative Extension System, and include such specific topics as Restoring Heating Systems After a Flood, Rodent Control After a Flood and Helping Children Cope with Disaster. A lot is covered, and it is covered well. If you really are in the middle of this, you should look here. You'll know which ones are for your situation, and I think you'll be very glad you read them.

Cleaning Up

• This piece is brief, but filled with some useful tips specifically on Cleaning Carpets and Floors After a Storm or Flood from the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center.

Post-Cleanup Assessment

• What will recovery cost? There are a lot of damage cost calculators on business websites, but this one comes from a .gov site, The Cost of Flooding from the National Flood Insurance Program. Obviously it's going to give you a broad estimate, but it still could help as you shop around for materials or contractors.


 

• This article, Selling your house after a natural disaster, has very good tips on its stated topic, such as to keep good documentation as you do repairs, but some of these suggestions are also relevant if you decide to keep living in your home.
 
• What are buyers looking for when they buy a home in an area previously victimized by nature? How to Buy a House With Water Damage comes from a 'wiki' page. Often, that means that the articles can be re-written at any time by a number of people, so proceed with that caution in mind, but consider that this is the advice many buyers will be operating from. Hopefully it can help you prepare if you've decided that you have seen one hurricane too many.

What have I missed? Do you know of an article, or a tip that people should know about?