If you live in an area where flooding is common, you’re likely concerned about the best way to protect your home and family from potential danger and damage that could occur. While the safety of your family is your number one priority, it’s also important that your family has a safe and secure place to living, meaning that you need to have your home prepared for if a flood were to come. To help you do this, here are three ways you can prepare your home for a coming flood.
Get The Right Insurance
The type of insurance you’re going to have for your home will depend on the type of ownership you have. If you are a renter, you’ll likely have renters insurance. If you’re a homeowner, you’ll then have homeowners insurance. However, FEMA shares that many standard homeowners insurance policies don’t cover floods; you have to get additional coverage for this. So before a big flood comes, make sure that you have the proper coverage. And keep in mind that many times you’ll have to wait 30 days for your coverage to take effect, so don’t wait until the last minute to get insured.
Create A Flood Checklist
To ensure that you’ve taken care of everything that your home needs when a flood is imminent, you may want to consider having a flood checklist handy. In the heat of the moment, you may not have the mental capacity to think about and remember all you need to take care of. But by having a list already prepared, you’ll be able to ensure that you get everything done. According to Becky Blanton, a contributor to Homes.com, some things you should include on your list are disconnecting your appliances and turning off all the power to your home, shutting off your gas lines, and switching off the main water valve within your home.
Have Sandbags Ready
If floods are likely to happen in your area at one point or another, it’s a good idea to have some supplies on hand that will be helpful if this emergency occurs. One of the best things you can keep at your house stored away are sandbags. While sandbags can be used to create makeshift dams, Westerns Australia’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services shares that you should also use sandbags to cover things like any kitchen or bathroom drains, including your toilet, so you don’t have any sewage coming back into your house if the flooding gets too bad in your area. If the sandbags don’t work and the toilets do overflow, then you might need to look at hiring a company that specialize in Sewage Cleanup.
It’s important to do everything you can to prepare to make sure the damage to your home is minimal. That way when a flood comes, you know you’ll be safe and only have to think about the clean-up project. Lots of things in the home can be damaged during a flood which is when you might want to look for emergency water damage restoration near me.
On top of the above tips, you might need to make sure that the electric system is well-protected from any hazards. You can also seal cracks in the foundation to avoid water from seeping inside and get the gutter system inspected by reputable firms like South Atlantic Gutters. These companies can install and maintain the system that often works to prevent water from accumulating, leading to flooding.
If you have any worries about ensuring that your home is prepared in the event of a flood, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you and your family prepare your property for this type of emergency. With adequate measures, you can protect your home from the risk of flooding.
