First Steps:

• Contact your insurance agent if you have a flood insurance policy
  • File a notice of loss with your insurer
  • Do not discard any property before your insurance adjuster sees it
  • Remember that flood insurance only covers direct physical damage from flooding, check with your insurance agent on individual coverage

• Document your damage
  • Take pictures of everything
  • Make a list of all items with costs if available; make note of brands, model numbers, any additional information that could be helpful
  • Keep all receipts for any associated costs

• Damage Assessments will be conducted by City staff. Guidance on repair and restoration activities will be provided. 
  • Before any work begins approved permit applications may be required. Contact the building department at 563.326.7745 during business hours for information regarding the next steps to take before entering the building to ensure your safety.
    • Systems that were turned off will need to be inspected to ensure they are running correctly. (Examples: Gas/Electrical, Fire Alarms, Emergency Exit signs)
    • Gas/Electrical. Possible hazards include- Standing water/ electrocution, structural damage.

Important Notice from MidAmerican Energy
As of 06.25.24, 2:00 p.m., MidAmerican Energy has informed the City that they will proactively turn off gas and potentially electric at households potentially impacted at higher river stages.  They report the number of households is very few, and that those potentially impacted should have received the following message. 

MESSAGE TO CUSTOMERS:

This is MidAmerican Energy.

Based on recent and predicted storms in the area that could lead to flash flooding, for safety reasons, it MAY become necessary for MidAmerican to turn off gas service, electric service, or possibly both, to your property, beginning with the address number (Insert).

If this affects your property, we will notify you of our actions. We appreciate your understanding as we take these actions and continue to assess the situation to keep you safe.

While we will attempt to call again should an emergency shutoff become necessary at your property, conditions may change rapidly and require us to act
immediately for safety reasons. If so, this may be your only notice. We appreciate your understanding.

If you have any questions, please contact us at 888-427-5632.

If your gas/electric is turned off please contact MidAmerican Energy at 888-427-5632.

You can also sign-into your MidAmerican Energy account for any messages from them.

What to expect if your utilities are shut-off for safety.
MidAmerican Energy will be evaluating gas connections as the river recedes. If the meter and gas line into the house, and no appliances at a location were damaged due to flooding, the agency will turn natural gas back on to the property.  City staff will still stop by to conduct a damage assessment and advise if any other repairs or corrections are needed at the location. 

If damage is identified, repair, permits and inspection will be required before service can be returned. Information on this and other repair or restoration requirements will be provided to property owners following a damage assessment. 

Be aware damage assessments will be performed at all property located in an area that has flooded. These will be performed door-to-door at accessible locations. A drone will be used to collect preliminary information for all property inaccessible when the river crests. Property owners will be informed of permitting and other recovery steps that may apply as damage assessments are conducted. The damage assessments are conducted as required by FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Community Rating System.

The City is waiving all applicable City permit fees for recovering properties impacted by the flood in support of flood recovery and building restoration activities. The waiver is contingent upon a completed damage assessment by City of Davenport staff or their designee. 

The City of Davenport will waive all necessary and applicable City permit fees for flood recovery and building restoration activities. The waiver is contingent upon a completed damage assessment by City of Davenport staff or their designee.

Information will be posted here as it becomes available. 

Property owners impacted by flooding may wonder what to do with the debris generated. Here’s what you need to know as you recover. Before you begin the cleanup, it is key to document damages and contact your insurance agent.

Sand and Sandbags

The City will pick up and haul away all sand and sandbags placed for collection at the curb. This service is not limited to solid waste customers. 

For sandbag pick-up, call (563) 326-7923 or place a request online at www.davenportiowa.com/pwrs. Sandbags must be placed in a pile in the curb line and not obstruct traffic. The City will not pick up sandbags we have not received a request for.

All Other Debris

• Private property owners should use available property insurance resources for debris collection and disposal falling outside of available assistance provided by the City.
• The City will collect eligible debris from solid waste customers (all single-family through 3-plex multi-family residential units having an active water account) and haul it away.
  • Customers must separate debris when placing it for pick up at their collection point. Use this link for details on accepted flood debris and guidelines for separation.
  • Contaminated yard waste and vegetative debris must be disposed of at the landfill. It cannot be processed at the Compost Facility.

We will post information here as it becomes available. This is generally a service of the Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

Know that no flood barrier is guaranteed.

If your property is at-risk, please do take precautionary measures such as moving furnishings off basement floors or to a higher ground level until river levels recede.

As the river rises, here are a few other important tips. 

1. Prepare for flooding:

• Know how to shut off the electricity and gas.
• Make a list of emergency numbers and identify a safe place to go to.
• Make an inventory, especially of basement contents.
• Put insurance policies, valuable papers, medicine, etc. in a safe place.
• Remove items from the basement or elevate them as high as you can if a chance for flooding or flash flooding is in the forecast.
• Develop a disaster response plan.

2.  Consider permanent flood protective measures:

• Mark the fuse or breaker box to show the circuits to the floodable areas.  Turning off the power to the basement can reduce property damage and save lives.
• Check the property for water entry points. These can be basement windows, the basement stairwell, doors, and dryer vents. These can be protected with low walls or temporary shields.
• Install a floor drain plug, standpipe, overhead sewer, or sewer backup valve to prevent sewer backup flooding.