REGINA — As severe overland flooding washes out streets and inundates basements across east-central Saskatchewan and western Manitoba, a local restoration expert is urging residents to prioritize safety and patience.
Dianne Stephenson, a co-owner of PuroClean Restoration in Regina, warns that floodwater is highly unsanitary and dangerous. She advises the public to stay out of standing water entirely, emphasizing that children should not be permitted to play in it.
"When the sewer systems are overloaded, we can't guarantee, the city can't guarantee, no one can guarantee, that that's just akin to a river or a lake or a stream," said Stephenson. "It's closer to, I don't want to say a sewage-filled puddle, but it's closer to that."
To help protect homes, Stephenson suggests ensuring eavestroughs are clear and downspouts are directed away from the foundation. If water pools near a house, she recommends using a push broom or shovel to move it away.
For minor seepage, a shop vacuum or a rented steam cleaner can be effective. However, she cautions against using a steam cleaner if the water is backing up from drain pipes or contains sewage.
Protecting electronics is also crucial, as they are highly sensitive to moisture.
"They don't like this high humidity and if they're in a space, even if the water hasn't touched them, please get them out," Stephenson said, recommending they be moved upstairs or to a garage and packed in boxes with packing paper to control ambient humidity.
While homeowners may feel compelled to begin tearing out damaged materials immediately, Stephenson strongly advises against do-it-yourself demolition.
"What I don't recommend is pulling out walls, pulling out tile," she said, noting that while lifting carpet or soaked underpad is acceptable, premature demolition can cause insurance coverage complications. She also warned that disturbing older tiles could expose residents to asbestos.
Because major insurance providers are managing simultaneous flood claims across the Prairies, resources are stretched thin.
"These adjusters are run off their feet and it's going to take a while for your phone calls to get through for intake," Stephenson said. She suggests filing claims online and asks residents to be patient, noting it could take several days for adjusters or restoration crews to arrive.
"Everybody needs to have a little bit of grace with each other right now," she said.
