Your house has flooded. Now what?

Catastrophic Hurricane Harvey has left billions of dollars of damage behind.

Harvey hit the Texas coast late last Friday as a Category 4 hurricane and has lingered, dropping heavy rain along its path of destruction.

Survivors haven’t seen their homes since they fled or were rescued. Many don't know what to expect, or what is left.  

About 30 percent of Harris County, home to Houston, the country's fourth most-populous city, was under water at some point. The flooding was so bad that parts of the city are expected to be uninhabitable for several weeks or even months. 

As survival mode shifts into recovery, here are next steps for anyone with flood-damaged property.

How flood insurance works

This is one of the most important things to sort out in times when water isn't pouring into your home. 

Homeowner policies do not cover flooding. Only a flood insurance policy can keep families with submerged basements, soaked furniture and water-damaged walls from digging into their own pockets.

Homeowners can cover their home for up to $250,000 and the items inside for up to $100,000, according to Federal Emergency Management Agency, also known as FEMA. Renters can insure up to $100,000.

MORE: How to navigate insurance claims, post-Hurricane Harvey

Be sure to call your insurance agent to file a claim. An adjuster will then be assigned to review the damage to your property to determine how much repairs will cost.

The adjuster will then submit the estimate to the insurance company to get approved.

Hurricane Harvey's price tag could make it the costliest natural disaster in the United States, totaling $190 billion, AccuWeather estimated.

What if I don't have flood insurance?

If a federal emergency has been declared (President Trump made the declaration for Harvey last week), homeowners may be eligible for federal disaster relief funds from FEMA. 

"Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster," the White House statement about Harvey assistance read.

For more information, and to find out if you qualify, check FEMA's disasterassistance.gov.

If homeowners don't have flood insurance, like many affected by Harvey, and the area doesn't qualify for federal help, they may be left footing the bill. However, some banks may be willing to help.

During a disaster like Harvey, they typically will institute a type of forbearance program on any borrowers who are in the disaster’s impacted counties, the Associated Press said.

The clean-up process

Make sure electricity and gas are shut off when first returning home.

Once it is safe to go back into your house, start listing the damage.

Take pictures and inventory all of the wreckage. Keeping a thorough record will help with your insurance claim, applications for disaster relief and income tax deductions, according to the Red Cross.

Have a professional assess the structural integrity of the home.

Then it’s time to decide what can be saved and what can’t.

What can’t be saved

It is easier to start with things that should be tossed following a flood.

Get rid of food or anything else that could have gone bad or spoiled. Cosmetics, medical supplies, stuffed animals and baby toys should immediately be thrown away.

Any absorbent material that got wet should also be discarded because it can harbor mold. This includes bedding, books, upholstered furniture, mattresses, pillows, rugs and more.

Mold can form within 48 hours.

What can be saved

Be on the lookout for valuables like jewelry, family heirlooms, photographs and insurance papers.

Salvage family photos by cleaning the image with clean water. Then, air-dry the picture on a paper towel. Do not let it touch another surface as it may cause damage.

You will not be able to save everything, so make sure to prioritize.

Any item that can be saved should be placed in a safe place to dry, preferably outdoors if weather permits, according to the Red Cross.

Then, homeowners should open windows and doors to get fresh air moving throughout. This will lessen the moisture and release any gas in the house. Don’t forget about opening closet doors and cabinets.

Use fans or dehumidifiers if available to improve circulation.

Any debris like tree limbs and trash that may have floated in your house can be removed. Residents should also look to shovel out mud and hose the house down because it contains many health hazards.