We have just went through a flood in our neighborhood this past month. I lost way too much fabric. There were at least 8, 58 quart containers that were FULL of fabric--new, washed and in 1, 2 and 3 yard lengths. For insurance purposes we can claim it but I have no idea on how much was in the containers and then there is the prices of the yardage. Any idea on how to figure it out? I don't buy inexpensive fabric.
We lost so much, everything in the basement and our cars but are just thankful that no one in the neighborhood died or was hurt. It could have been so much worse! And I am very thankful that my sewing machines were upstairs!!!
Laurel

Sorry about the flood do not know how to figure fabric maybe get idea of how many yards in a container and go from there

Don't forget when you compute the total to do so at current prices! It has risen quite dramatically I bet since you acquired your stash. Sorry you have to go through this!

Hi Laurel,

Boy oh boy can I relate. We had a flood and we were in a hotel (2 kids, 2 dogs, 3 cats and my hubby and I) for THREE MONTHS!!! ugh!!

What you should probably do is over value it. I don't mean that dishonestly, but in order for you to actually replace all that fabric at current values you would have to probably pay more now because it's not easy to find, plus prices of cotton has cone up. They figure in how old it was and deduct from that. Then when you actually replace it, if it's more than they gave you, you report it and get another check cut. Easy to do with a tv not so easy with fabric.

There was probably a lot of fabric in each tote... We learn how to make stuff fit. I have no idea how many yards you should claim, butni would claim them at $12 a yard, however many you have. Then IOU can just be done with it.

Good luck.

So very sorry for you and the others loss. This may help, fill a container full of dry yardage and then weigh it. Find out how much yardage is in a pound and multiply it by the weight of the tub. May-be?

That was supposed to say "you" not IOU @@ stupid auto correct. Lol

Oh no, you poor thing. Can the fabric be washed at all? If you figured out how many yards fit in a 1 quart container, assume at least $10 a yard (average?) and multiply times 58, times 8, would that work out the value? Thank goodness your machines are ok, but my heart breaks for you. Your priorities are in the right place though. Hugs and prayers coming your way, stay strong!

Check with your agent/adjuster. Often they will want a detailed list, in which case you would have to record each piece of fabric and yardage. You may be able to just do one bin, then supply photos of the others. I would go with current yardage prices. again, before spending a lot of time, check with your insurance company.

Thanks everyone. The fabric was in the basement and it was not only flood waters but sewer water too. And of course I had no washer and dryer available and the electric was off for a couple of days. I didn't even want to try to save it. It looked awful and smelled twice as bad as it looked!!!
Laurel

Insurance adjuster said to call a quilt shop and ask how much would fit in a 58 quart container. I took photos of some of the better looking fabric. Some containers you couldn't even tell what was in them.
Laurel

If you have a quilting friend, take one of the 58 quart containers to her house and fill it full of her fabric. No, don't take it home (LOL) but measure how much you were able to cram in there, and that's your answer. You and your friend will have fun doing it, too.

Can you determine how much these containers weighed. Someone on the board can tell you how many yards are in a pound. From there, you need to estimate the cost.

I agree with this. You're going to have to estimate the number of yards and use an average price per yard. If you always buy at the LQS, use what it is now (ours is around $10/yd), but if you also buy at Joann's, you would want to average to maybe $7/yard.

omg how horrible. I am really sorry that you were flooded. We just never stop & think about stuff like that until it's too late. I sure hope you get what it's worth & get back to normal ASAP.

Aw, so sorry!

Thought the fabric was all safe. I had all of it in plastic containers. We have lived here 37 years and never had anything but we awoke to our neighbor pounding on our door at 4 in the morning. Their basement wall, actually 2 of them had collapsed. From what the contractor said today,if one more concrete block would have fell in, the house would have followed. Our house looked like we were in the middle of a lake. We had about 52 inches of water in the basement.Thankfully we didn't have any structual damage. What caused it all was 6 inches of rain in just a few hours. There wasn't anywhere for it to go.

Once you do that take pictures to show the ins. company what is similar to what you had.

Check to be sure you have "replacement value" insurance. In other words, like scholkat said...you give your insurance agent the amount of money it would take TODAY to replace what you had. We had a flood in our basement years ago, and we were so glad that we had the replacement clause in our policy. Good luck to you!

Sorry but glad ur ok. Hope you settle fast and get back to normal

So sorry this has happened to you. To get numbers for your adjuster quickly, try to calculate by weight. Measure out one yard of good quality quilting fabric and then weigh it. Next, fill one of your bins with dry fabric and then weigh the bin. Divide the weight of the bin by the weight of the one yard to see how many yards are in there, then multiply that times a fair LQS price of around $12 per yard (will take into account higher priced wide backings and batiks and what you may have bought on sale for lower prices). Good luck putting things back together, and very glad for you that there's not lasting damage to your home.

We had a real heavy storm go thru here in Minnesota years ago and all my fabric was in the basement. I had 2 ft of water in the basement. The ajuster told me the fabric can be washed and they gave us a good amount of money to wash and dry all of it plus labor.

We went through something similar here in Florida - USAA accepted and paid on my estimates. In your case, I'd say, "QTY (8) 58-quart storage containers 100% cotton fabric x ___ yards per container x $10.50 per yard = $$$$"

I'd eyeball estimate the yardage by taking one empty container down to the local JoAnn fabrics and fill the container 1/4 full of EITHER fat quarters or fat folded remnant with the yardage already measured ... the multiply the yardage by 4 (then put the fabric back!!!)

Hope this helps - I am so very sorry to hear of your flood woes. I'll be thinking of you and your family - love to you all!

Get a container the same size and fill with some cheap material. I do know the containers I use hold yards and yards

If you have fabric that was upstairs, or buy new fabric, Stack some fabric on a table (ten yards), measure the sq. inches of that stack, then get the sq. inch of the container. Divide the container Sq. inch by the fabric stack sq. inch number.
If your stack has ten yards...then 10 times $12 per yard -= $120, times the number of stacks that can fit in the container. Hope this is clear.
D in TX

This is a great idea. Then price it out at $12 a yard. Remember the shipping costs.

So sorry you lost so much. I'm in Cuyahoga Falls and was lucky not to get much rain. It seems everytime it rains here it floods. Even last week it rained once and some roads were closed. Usually in the National Park. What part do you live in?
Pat

I know what you are going through, but your situation is worse than what ours was. Several years ago we were gone over the labor day weekend and when we came home our house was flooded. Our upstairs toilet tank had cracked and water was running out, don't know if it was for all the days we were gone but anyway, The whole upstairs was flooded and water running down the steps into the basement and an 1 1/2 of water all over. I was able to selvedge some of the fabric, but now everything is in tubs and off of the floor and the water gets shut off every week we leave. We also put a stainless steel wrap or shield hose on our wash machine to prevent that hose from breaking. Hope you get as much compsenation for all your fabric you lost.

I don't think the weighing thing will work very well, if the damaged fabrics are still wet they will weigh a lot more. I think filling the tubs with fabric, then measuring the fabric, is probably your best bet.

Do you still have any of the containers? If so, empty 1 & photograph it. Then photo all of the other containers, leaving them full. Your insurance adjuster will appreciate having those photos. To calculate the # of yards, fold a 1 yard piece the size of the bottom of the container & measure how high it is. Then divide that # by the height of the 1 yard piece. That's your yardage! Remember to add sales tax to the cost & use an average per yard of about $12.50. That's from a retired property adjuster.

Having just gone through basement and storage unit flooding and roof replacement at the same time, I found out that most policies cover with depreciation and will issue a depreciation check if the items are replaced. Not all policies are this way, but some are. Our adjustors here tell us the replacement cost at todays values. That is their jobs to research it with our policy.

Sorry you have to go through this.

Equilter lists fabric end cuts by the pound and says one pound of fabric equals about 3 to 3-1/2 yards.

I just wanted you to know how badly I feel for you. I hope everything works out for you.

Wow, how horrible to lose all that fabric. And everything else you may have lost. I'd hate to throw out all that fabric, couldn't you take it out to the back yard and use a garden hose to get the worse off and then throw it in one (or 3) of those large machines at the laundry mat?

And before people start yelling, I've never been in a flood where sewage was involved. I really am asking for the knowledge in case it ever happens to me. And I love fabric and hate to lose good fabric.

I recently asked an insurance agent and now I have to measure my material and make an index with picture. Probably need to do the same thing with my embroidery patterns - oh my, now I really am n ot looking forward to this process (LOL). SO SORRY - wish I could help you.

OHHHH such a terrible thing, all of it. Sorry to hear of your losses but as long as you and the family are fine that's all that really matters. Cliche but true. Good luck with the insurance!

We live in the Kenmore area. We were out in that storm on Sunday in the Cuyhoga Valley Park area it was terrible. I couldn't believe the 'rivers of water' on the roads!

3 yards of fabric equal a pound. Don't know about batting. Will check my large container and give you an estimate as how much fabric I have it. Hopes this helps.

I go through the National Park everyday and I had been there the day before and thought that the water looked really low. Then it rained and here come the floods. It seems like it just can't rain normal. I used to live in NH and it would only flood if you were near a river. I'm having trouble with my porch roof. I had a brand new one put on when I had the house and garage done. It's worse than the one I had. This winter when we got the ice storm it backed up and froze on it and then it separated from the house. I had it nailed back up but it rains in the porch so I think I need a new one. It's not even 3 years old. Where you in the flooding when Copley got flooded? Pat

Yes, that's when it happened. Our whole neighborhood got hit. First time int the 37 years that we have lived here.

That was really bad. Then with the Copley killings last week. And that is an upscale neighborhood.. I guess you just never know. Pat