Post-Flood mortem

Exercise caution when first re-entering your home once the floodwaters subside and inspect all systems to make sure they are up to snuff

Rubber boots are becoming ever more of a necessity to keep you dry during knee-deep inundations _ and to stay alive once the floodwaters recede. Be sure to wear them when re-entering your home as a safeguard against being electrocuted.

Winyou Wanichsiriroj, an executive committee member of the Association of Siamese Architects, strongly recommends that homeowners not switch on the circuit breaker immediately upon entering.

They should first check all the electrical sockets that had been submerged by removing the socket masks to make sure it is completely dry inside.

"Before working with the socket, you should use a tool that tests the electric current. Don't go back to your home and hurry to switch on the circuit breaker. You may have to stay in the dark for another day to ensure the power system is dry. It's better to be more cautious than usual," said Mr Winyou.

If the circuit breaker was also submerged, then a homeowner with no knowledge of electricity should have a technician examine the system.

Also essential are the water and sanitation systems, and Mr Winyou suggests cleaning these by running the taps for a while to release the dirty water.

Toilets should be able to function normally as soon as the water recedes, but it would be best to empty the septic tank for a fresh start. "Even though toilets can be used as soon as the flooding is over, the remaining bacteria in the septic tank will make it harder to dissolve the waste," he said.

As for household structures, concrete buildings can generally withstand flooding for lengthy periods. Owners must check whether they can see the piles. If they can, then there is a danger the house could subside, so repairs are needed.

For wooden houses, it may be that only wood stain needs to be applied to protect the wood but only after the building has completely dried.

Flooding may have become a new permanent risk in many areas, so people may want to think about renovating their homes to allow them to live there during times of high water.

Prevention is technically feasible, but cost depends on the level of protection _ whether people want to be protected starting out at the property line, inside the house or only the upper floors.

If flood victims want to live on an upper floor during flooding, then a working toilet system is of the utmost importance. A second septic tank must be installed above ground level.

A standalone circuit breaker for each floor must be installed, and a backup electricity generator is needed for power outages. A water storage tank should also be kept upstairs.

For those wanting to remain on the ground floor, valves must be installed in all drains to cut the link between the home and the public sewage system.

However, protecting the house all the way from the garden wall would be practical only for new homes, as they would have to be built on a swimming pool foundation. "The foundation and the property wall must both be made from reinforced concrete in order to withstand the water pressure. Without the proper foundation, water will come up from your lawn," said Mr Winyou.

"But whatever you do, it's a big investment, so people must think hard about what they actually want."