Tips to Protect Your Home and Property during Flood Season

You may have noticed extreme weather is more common these days, and storms are getting worse with every passing year. Properties that never flooded before are now underwater, and homeowners who never thought they could face flooding are now bailing out their basements and trying to salvage their possessions.

Even if your property has never flooded before, it is important to prepare for extreme weather events. You never know when a severe thunderstorm or stalled tropical depression will leave your property underwater, and being prepared will give you peace of mind and make recovery that much easier. Here are some tips to help you protect your home and property from flooding and water damage.

Start By Packing a Go Bag

A go bag is a collection of items you really need in an emergency, from the prescriptions you take and extra food and water to a few changes of clothes. Pack a go bag and keep it by the door - you never know when you will need it.

Your go bag can be an actual bag, a small suitcase or anything else that suits your needs. Be sure to pack a go bag for every member of the family - including the kids.

Research Past Flooding Events

If you want to protect your property from future flooding, it pays to know what has happened in the past. Spend some time at the county planning office, or go online to research past flooding events in your area.

Knowing what has happened during previous extreme weather events can help you prepare for the worst. Keep in mind that future flooding could be worse than past events, and it pays to prepare for the worst.

Check Out Flood Insurance Options

Even if it is not required in your area, it may make sense to purchase flood insurance. Whether you are a current homeowner or moving into a new area, check out your flood insurance options.

You can check with your current insurer and ask about flood insurance, or contact FEMA for additional information. Flood insurance can be a costly addition to your policy, but the extra expense could be well worth it.

Consider Grading Changes

If water runs to your home, you may be able to make grading changes to channel the rainfall away. Hiring an excavator to change the grading of your property and redirect the water could be a worthwhile home improvement, especially if you have experienced flooding in the past.

Having your basement waterproofed could be another sound investment, especially if you live in a flood-prone area. Cleaning up a flooded basement can be a huge expense, one that timely waterproofing will help you avoid.

Keep Essentials out of the Danger Zone

Even the best efforts cannot prevent all flooding, so do what you can to protect the essentials. If you are building a new home or renovating an old one, make sure things like switches, breakers and wiring are raised, so they will be less prone to flooding conditions.

Make sure you know where all these essentials are, so you can protect them as much as possible when flooding is imminent. If your basement does flood, always seek professional help with the cleanup - you do not want to tackle potential toxins and live electrical wires on your own.

Commercial Dehumidifier Available to Rent at Holod’s

Whether the culprit is climate change, natural variations in the environment or something else, floods are indeed getting worse. Even if your home has never flooded, it is important to be prepared for the next extreme weather event. The tips listed above can help you get your home in shape, so you can minimize the damage when the waters start to rise.

Know where to rent emergency items, maybe even in advance

It could be a power outage that stops your sump pump or the basement is too flooded and you need more than one pump. Make sure you know where you can get these rental items in a pinch and if you know a big storm is coming and your basement has a good chance of flooding rent the item the day before the storm. These are some of the items that we run out of quickly after a storm: pumps, generators, vacs, chainsaws, dehumidifiers and plumbing equipment.

Shop our full list of rental items HERE