Flooding – Is Your Home at Risk?

If you live in a high risk area for flooding, you need to be aware of the following precautions and home maintenance tips to better prepare yourself in the event of a flood. The first step, however, is to determine if your home is indeed at risk.

Different seasons bring different types of flooding possibilities. In the winter with the melting snow and hard, frozen ground, snow floods are common. Warmer months experiencing torrential rains are susceptible to flash floods. The collapse of dams or levees and tropical storms can present an unmanageable amount of water in a short time, and result in flooding. Determine whether any of these types of flooding could affect your home.

FEMA, or the Federal Emergency Management Agency, establish ratings for flood zones based on local water flow, storm tides, rainfall, and land surveys. Find out whether you live in a low, moderate or high risk area for flooding. If your home is situated in a floodplain, you are required to have flood insurance.

Find out what the town planners have done to reduce the effects of flooding in your area. These actions should be mentioned when you are establishing a premium rate with the flood insurance company.

Home Maintenance:

If you live in a flood zone, install anti-flood barriers in new housing and consider adding these to existing homes. They may not totally prevent water from entering the basement, but may slow seepage considerably.

Keep all nearby drains clean and free of any debris that may cause a back flow of water.

Clean your home's gutters to remove build-up that may clog and force rainfall to enter at the roof line.

Plug the drains in the sinks, bathtubs and sewer traps to prevent water from backing up. Unhook the washer, dryer and dishwasher and block the outlets.

Silicone sealant can be used to seal around doors and windows to prevent water from making it's way through small openings. Seal any cracks in basement walls and foundations.

You may want to consider relocating your electrical panel to the attic where it is less likely to be damaged by floodwater.

Necessary Steps:

Assemble a survival kit to include battery-powered flashlights, radio, extra batteries, first aid supplies, medications, rain gear, warm clothes, sleeping bags, enough canned food and water for several days, utensils, and personal items.

Prepare an evacuation plan and rehearse it with the family. Understand and be aware of the flood warning signs, local weather conditions and warnings. If an evacuation looks imminent, prepare a bag with a few changes of clothes and any necessary medications that you can grab at a moments notice. Keep your pet cages handy with extra food in case family pets also need transporting.

Make sure you have flood insurance. Most normal home owner's insurance policies do not include reimbursement for flood damage.

Keep important documents in an easily accessible, waterproof container. An inventory of your documents including a photograph of each, stored on a CD is worth the extra effort.


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