Floods are considered one of the most common natural disasters in our country today. They also take the prize as one of the highest ranked causes of significant property damage.

Often, landowners think the best way to tackle a flood-damaged property is by trying to come up with a full reparation plan– but that could take weeks. Acting quickly will prevent additional damage and help maintain your property’s health. Whatever your plans for your property include, taking these 5 basic steps will help you get it back on track and ready for future use.

1. Evaluate Your Property

First things first. Take a walk around your property to assess damages caused by flooding. If you aren’t able to access parts of it, using a drone and flying it over your property to take a look can be a big help. Check for things such as downed or exposed power lines, plugged drains and any large holes or gullies. Remember to always address safety concerns first.

2. Drain the Water

After you’ve fully inspected your property, you’ll need to remove or drain the water that is still lingering. It’s best to let your property drain naturally. But this can sometimes take anywhere from a couple days to several weeks. If you have a lot of water sitting on your land, consider digging “tunnels” or channels through which the water can travel out from and recede.

3. Do Some Clean-Up

Once all the water is gone, it’s time to remove any large debris that was carried onto your property. Removing all the water before clean-up will let you see any extra debris that might’ve been hanging out in there. Just like too many leaves on your lawn can prevent the grass underneath to get the adequate air and nutrients, washed-up brush or trash can negatively affect the soil on your land.

4. Fix Your Soil

One of the main problems of flooding is the detrimental effects it has on the soil. Flooding can completely change your soil’s make-up which can lead to something called flooded soil syndrome. This condition happens when soil loses beneficial fungi that give plants the nutrients they need. Rebuild your soil by adding back those essential nutrients into your land with fertilizers such as compost and manure.

5. Take Preventative Measures

While you can’t predict when a natural disaster will hit, you can take steps to prevent catastrophic damage to your property. There are many different things you can do to reduce a flood’s impact on your land, but one of the easiest things is to preserve the trees on your property. A tree’s leaves are great shock absorbers when it comes to heavy rainfall and can significantly help in safeguarding your soil.