After a typhoon passes, your priority shifts from sheltering to a specific sequence: confirm safety, secure essentials, protect your property from further damage, and begin recovery. Rushing back into a damaged home or wading through floodwater without precautions can be just as dangerous as the storm itself. Here’s what to do, step by step.
Check for Structural Damage Before Going Inside
Before entering your home, do a walk-around inspection from the outside. Look for obvious problems first: missing or damaged roof shingles, broken windows, and cracks in masonry near corners or around door and window frames. Check the ridge line of your roof from a distance. If it sags in the center or at the ends, the load-bearing walls may have shifted, and the structure could be unstable.
Inspect where the foundation meets the walls for signs of shifting. A telling clue: doors and windows that no longer open or close properly. Inside, use a carpenter’s level or just eyeball the walls to see if they’re still vertical and straight. Leaning walls, buckled floors, or a strong gas smell all mean you should leave immediately and call emergency services.
Stay Far From Downed Power Lines
Treat every downed power line as if it’s live. Even lines that look dead can carry enough voltage to kill on contact. OSHA standards call for at least 20 feet of clearance, and that applies to you, too, not just heavy equipment. The ground around a fallen line can become energized, creating a danger zone you can’t see. If you spot a downed line, keep everyone away and report it to your utility company.
Inside your home, don’t touch electrical panels, outlets, or appliances if the floor is wet or if you’re standing in water. If you can safely reach your breaker box without stepping through standing water, switch off the main breaker until a qualified electrician inspects the system.
Never Run a Generator Indoors
Carbon monoxide from portable generators kills people after every major storm. Generators must be used outside, with 3 to 4 feet of clear space on all sides for ventilation. Even outdoors, don’t place one near doors, windows, or vents where exhaust could drift into your living space. If you start feeling dizzy, nauseous, or headachy while a generator is running, get to fresh air immediately.
Make Your Water Safe to Drink
Municipal water systems often lose pressure or become contaminated during typhoons, and well water is almost certainly unsafe after flooding. Boiling is the most reliable method: bring clear water to a rolling boil for one full minute. At elevations above 6,500 feet, boil for three minutes.
If you can’t boil water, household bleach works. For standard bleach (5% to 9% sodium hypochlorite), add 2 drops per quart or 8 drops per gallon, stir well, and wait at least 30 minutes before drinking. If the water is cloudy or discolored, double those amounts. Use unscented bleach with no added cleaners. Commercial water purification tablets are another option; follow the package directions for the correct amount of water.
Handle Food Carefully
A refrigerator keeps food at a safe temperature for about 4 hours after the power goes out, as long as you keep the door closed. A full freezer holds for roughly 48 hours; a half-full freezer, about 24 hours. Once those windows pass, perishable food (meat, dairy, cooked leftovers, cut fruit) should be thrown out. When in doubt, throw it out. Foodborne illness after a disaster is common and entirely preventable.
Any food that came into direct contact with floodwater, including canned goods with pull-tab or screw-cap lids, is unsafe. Undamaged commercially canned food with intact seals can be saved if you remove the labels, wash the cans with soap and clean water, and then sanitize them with a diluted bleach solution.
Protect Against Floodwater Illness
Floodwater is not just rainwater. It’s a mix of sewage, chemicals, animal waste, and debris. Avoid wading through it whenever possible. If you must, wear waterproof boots and gloves, and wash thoroughly with soap and clean water afterward. Cover any open wounds with waterproof bandages before exposure.
One of the most serious risks is leptospirosis, a bacterial infection spread through water contaminated by animal urine. Symptoms can appear anywhere from 2 to 30 days after exposure and include high fever, headache, muscle pain (especially in the calves), vomiting, and jaundice. It’s treatable with antibiotics, but it can become life-threatening if ignored. If you develop a sudden fever in the weeks after wading through floodwater, get medical attention quickly and mention the exposure.
Start Drying Your Home Immediately
Mold can begin growing on wet surfaces within 24 to 48 hours, according to FEMA. That timeline makes speed critical. Open windows and doors to get air moving. If you have power, run fans and dehumidifiers. Remove waterlogged carpeting, insulation, and drywall. Drywall acts like a sponge; even if the surface feels dry, moisture trapped inside will feed mold growth for weeks. Cutting the drywall at least 12 inches above the visible water line gives the wall cavity a chance to dry out.
Wear an N95 mask, gloves, and eye protection during cleanup. Mold spores become airborne the moment you disturb contaminated materials, and inhaling them can cause respiratory problems even in healthy people.
Use the Right Gear for Debris Cleanup
Fallen trees, scattered roofing, and twisted metal are standard after a typhoon. If you’re clearing debris by hand, wear heavy work gloves and sturdy boots that cover the ankle. For chainsaw work, the CDC recommends a hard hat, safety glasses, hearing protection, heavy gloves, cut-resistant leg protection (chainsaw chaps) from waist to foot, and ankle-covering boots. Never operate a chainsaw while standing on a ladder or on unstable debris piles, and don’t cut a tree that’s leaning against a power line.
Document Everything for Insurance
Before you clean up or make temporary repairs, document the damage thoroughly. Take wide-angle photos of each side of your home, then close-ups of specific damage: torn shingles, broken windows, water lines on walls, damaged appliances, and ruined belongings. If you have “before” photos of your property, gather those too, because the contrast makes claims far easier to process.
Keep a running record of your expenses. If you need to tarp a damaged roof, stay in a hotel, or eat out because your kitchen is unusable, save every receipt. These costs often fall under “additional living expenses” coverage in homeowners policies. Get written repair estimates from contractors when possible, and note the date and time the storm hit along with any specific details like hail size or measured wind speeds reported locally. Contact your insurer as soon as you can. Many policies require “prompt” notification, and delays can complicate your claim.
Take Care of Your Mental Health
The days after a typhoon are physically exhausting and emotionally draining. Losing your home, your belongings, or simply your sense of normalcy is a legitimate trauma. Trouble sleeping, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and replaying the storm in your mind are all common stress responses in the first few weeks.
What helps: maintaining routines for meals, sleep, and exercise even when everything else feels chaotic. Spending time with supportive friends or family. Physical activity and mindfulness practices both reduce the stress hormone response measurably. Avoid using alcohol or drugs to cope, as they tend to intensify anxiety and disrupt sleep in the rebound period.
If those symptoms persist beyond a few weeks or start interfering with your ability to function, talk to a primary care provider who can connect you with a mental health professional. SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline (1-800-985-5990) offers free, confidential crisis counseling 24 hours a day in multiple languages.