AILSA CHANG, HOST:
People are starting the hard work of recovering from Hurricane Helene. Vice President Harris talked on Monday about the storm's trail of destruction from coastal Florida to the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee.
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VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Millions of Americans are without power. Thousands of families have lost their homes. Entire neighborhoods have been destroyed.
CHANG: Well, with another two months left in hurricane season, NPR's Michael Copley reports on what to do if your house floods and how to prepare for the next storm.
MICHAEL COPLEY, BYLINE: The first thing to remember is floodwater's dangerous. It can be a cocktail of debris and sewage. It can also electrocute you. Brad Hubbard tells people to stay out of it if they can.
BRAD HUBBARD: If you're trying to save a person, go for it. If you're trying to save your car or a piece of property, it is not worth it.
COPLEY: Hubbard's the president of an engineering firm called National Flood Experts. He talked to NPR by phone from his hometown, Tampa, Fla. The area was hit by a record storm surge from Helene.
HUBBARD: It's a bit of a mess. We've got a lot of people who had a lot of floodwater in their house. Several of my employees have.
COPLEY: Hubbard has three tips for people cleaning up from a flood.
HUBBARD: Document everything is step one.
COPLEY: That means taking tons of pictures inside and outside your house. You'll need those to file an insurance claim or to apply for federal aid. And note how high the water got. If it went above your electoral sockets, call an electrician.
HUBBARD: Step two would be if you have insurance, file a claim.
COPLEY: Lots of people need help right now. Hubbard says the sooner you file a claim, the sooner you'll get the money you need to recover.
HUBBARD: Third step is get your house dry as fast as possible.
COPLEY: Rip up carpets, remove furniture, and cut out drywall, starting a foot above the waterline. Then get the air moving inside your house.
HUBBARD: So running fans and running your air conditioning literally nonstop until you can get it dry.
COPLEY: And Hubbard has one more tip. Be patient with the electricians and contractors helping with the recovery.
HUBBARD: We all live in these areas that we serve, and it means that when there's a storm, the people who are trying to help you are also dealing with their own problems.
COPLEY: So what about the next storm? Take pictures of your home and belongings way ahead of time. Put valuables up high if there's a flood threat - on countertops or a second floor if you have one. Or, Hubbard says...
HUBBARD: Put it in your dishwasher. Your dishwasher is watertight.
COPLEY: You should also consider buying flood insurance if you haven't already. Without it, Matthew Eby says flood victims often face a daunting question on their own.
MATTHEW EBY: How do we get back to where we were before?
COPLEY: For a lot of people, trying to recover from a flood without a safety net can be its own disaster. Michael Copley, NPR News.
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