Securing your home from the flood: 5 Flood safety tips

Securing your home from the flood: 5 Flood safety tips

Guest post by Jack Billington

Flooding in the United States is the most common natural disaster and is one of the few natural disasters that affect every American in every state. The definition of a flood is an overflow of water on land which is usually dry. This means that a flood can come from natural sources or man-made sources, and these include

Flooding includes every water-borne danger from overflowing rivers to rain cascading down hillsides and includes man-made flooding disasters such as broken water mains and clogged gutters. Whether you live in a natural flood-prone zone or not, a flood can happen, and will most probably happen at least once in your lifetime.

Here is a list of the 5 basics that you need to consider securing your home from a flood.

1. Clean Gutters and Drains

Whether you live in your own home or an apartment building, you must ensure that the gutters and drains are all clean. These small devices are used to allow the water and snow are accumulating during rains and storms to flow freely away from your home. When a gutter or drain is clogged the accumulating water will find the fastest route away from the area, and that usually includes a pathway through your property. For higher positioned drains and gutters this means watering entering from above, trickling down into your home, or for ground-level waters to seep in through the walls or windows around your home, as well as up into your basement or underground floor levels.

Street drains are also a major issue since they are flowing public water amounts accumulated from many zones, as such, a blocked street drain will affect more than one home nearby. Saying this leads us to recommend you check the drainage around your home, especially if you live near a river or in a rainy area, and make sure you have flood barriers available.

2. Assure Roof Protection

A roof is a construct designed to keep the elements out of your home and retain the heat, light, dryness, and integrity of your interior. As such a roof needs to be checked every year, especially before the rainy and snowy seasons. Even the smallest of holes or cracks in a roof will allow water to seep in and affect other parts of the internal structure, leading to larger issues, such as damp electricity line. However, a hole in the roof or a gutter that is total blocked will cause waters to cascade into your property, and that is something you must avoid. A simple walk over your roof is usually easy to perform to check the integrity of this house seal. I also suggest you perform an indoor roof check during daylight hours to see if you can see any light coming in from the roof. This usually is apparent in homes without insulation. So, if you don’t have insulation, check inside as well as outdoors. Make sure your roof is intact.

3. Local Threat levels

Consider where you live. Do you live in a flood-prone zone, where rising river overflows regularly, or by the sea close to the water line? Perhaps you live in the city in a high rise, or in the mountains? Is your home high above the ground, or under a hill or even below the ground level?  Knowing the dangers of your area, from mild to extreme enable you to prepare accordingly. Some homes will require flood bags deployed from the onset of the rainy seasons to others that require you just maintain clean gutters and drains. You might need to deploy flood barriers to protect against seasonal flooding.

4. Flood Insurance

This is not a protective measure from flooding; it’s a protective measure from the aftereffects that flood brings. There are different types of water level insurances, ranging from natural flooding to damage from water. You require full coverage if you live in a flood-prone zone, and there the premium will be high. If you live in a dry location or a high rise in a city, consider standard flooding coverage the premium is low but well worth paying for against the risks of losing furniture through water damage.

Always check the insurance coverage properly, this means read what is covered by the policy, in some instances a sewage overflow will not be covered it does not originate from natural flooding. So, take heed, insurance coverage is notorious for double and triple speak, and the words are designed to be confusing, obtuse and debatable in court. When taking out insurance, make sure you have an exact and up to date list of your property items, and if you want to be extra careful, take a photo of every room in your home once in a while.

5. Power Down

My final tip is being aware that flooding is a major issue when linked to electricity. These two items like to dance the tango, and if you stand in their way, you will be hit hard. This means, that when there is a flood issue in your home, whether it’s from the roof, the walls, the basement, or from natural flooding, turn off the electricity at the mains. This is a major issue and lifesaver, in this case, just make sure you have separate heating and lighting options around the house during flooding.

Conclusions

There is no ultimate protection against a natural flooding disaster other than getting out of the area in time, and of course, deploying flood barriers, securing all your electronic devices and turning off the electricity in time. If you live in a non-natural flood-prone zone, just make sure you follow the basic precautionary checks and, in all instances, no matter where you live, take out water damage insurance.

 

Author’s bio: Jack is a former officer. Now, he works as a home & personal security expert. Also, time after time, he conducts shooting classes. He has 15 years of professional experience in home security improvement. On his blog, he write articles on home & personal safety, guns & gun safe accessories, emergency preparedness, etc.