Dealing with Flood Damage

Assess the damage, manage hazards, and wait for the soil to dry. Then always be sure to manage early plantings of food crops safely by washing produce exposed to flood waters. And play it safe by discarding any garden produce exposed to raw sewage as it can be hazardous to your health.

Then repair damaged soil, and watch for signs of flood damage induced problems that may appear later in the season such as root rot or pest infestations. Assess the damage and manage hazards immediately.

Look to certified arborists (tree care professionals) to help with pruning and removal of hazardous branches and trees. They have the skill, equipment and expertise to do the job safely and properly.

Most trees can usually withstand a week or less of flood conditions. More than this and you will start seeing leaves yellow and curl, branches die and extended periods of standing water can cause death for some trees.

In the garden, seedlings and young transplants may have been killed or washed away. If this is the case, wait for the soil to dry before replanting. Early season crops such as leaf lettuce, spinach and radishes should be washed before eating and no garden produce exposed to raw sewage should be consumed.

Soil will also have an impact. When it is caked on the leaves of plants, it can block sunlight, preventing the plants from photosynthesizing (making needed energy) and the leaves can eventually yellow and die. Once the landscape dries out a bit, you can gently wash off any soil stuck on the leaves.

Additionally, soil has been adversely affected by the floods. The water logged soil kills many of the micro organisms that help create a healthy soil foundation. The pounding rains and dislodged soil particles can add to soil compaction. Be sure to wait for the soil to dry before you start the rebuilding process.

Adding organic matter such as peat moss and compost will help add needed micro-organisms and start the rebuilding process.

And if you were lucky enough to escape damage – help a friend. A few flowers can bring a smile in less than 15 seconds and your waterlogged gardening friends may just need a bit of garden relief.

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