Jeff Rigby wrote:
Maybe before the water goes down too much homeowners should be tossing a bag
of "Pool Shock" into the home and closing the doors and windows. The
chlorine in the pool shock should kill all the bacteria and mold as well as
deodorize the interior. Wiring would still have to be replaced but it
shouldn't be a hazard for workers to work on the house.

Also, they should turn off the main breaker. In some cases if there is no
salt in the water drying out could be all that is needed.

At the very minimum, the structures will need to be torn down to the
studs and inspected. The roofing should be OK unless the house was
totally submerged, and in a lot of cases the second floor areas aren't
soaked and could possibly be saved with a serious cleanup.

Once the framing has been exposed and allowed to dry out completely, an
analysis is in order. Any areas of previous rotting will have been
accelerated by standing in water. Any sort of pressboard (subflooring
or siding underlayment, for example) is probably ruined. A lot of
structures will require some attention to the framing and sheathing.
Spraying all of the exposed framing with a strong bleach solution will
help guard against future rot and
also help kill off the "swampy" smell that might otherwise linger in
the wood.

With all the plaster or wallboard down, it would be fairly easy to
rewire. Most plumbing should be OK, but this is a good opportunity to
replace old lead or galvanized pipes.

Homes built with a lot of cypress (a building material more commonly
employed down that way)may fare better than homes buit with mostly pine
or fir. Cypress trees grow directly out of swamps, and the wood is
exceptionally rot resistant in most applications.