Floods are terrible things that cause a lot of devastation. Because cubits of wood are not so easy to obtain these days, the traditional method of flood preparation is out of reach for most people. Luckily there are still plenty of things you can do, as described in the following collection of tips.
1. Buy flood insurance
Flood insurance is not always easy to obtain and it may be expensive, but it will help you if a flood does strike. There will be questions on the proposal form asking if your property was flooded before and if your close to the coast or a river/stream. Generally, if you live in an area prone to flooding it may be difficult to get flood cover. If your local authority has carried out works to prevent flooding this will help in getting flood cover.
2. Store your documents properly
It won’t do you a lot of good having flood insurance if the only documentation you have of it gets washed away. Your insurance policies and other important documents should be kept in a lockable waterproof box, and stored off the ground. You need to keep it on a high shelf or other high place because otherwise it may just float away in its waterproof box.
3. Make an inventory
Making an inventory is another essential step in flood preparation. If you’re wondering what else should go in your document box along with the insurance policy, the simple answer is that you should include an inventory of all the major assets in your home (and surroundings). It’s also a good idea to keep receipts for the more important assets, as that will help your loss assessor to evaluate your damages more easily if you need to claim on your insurance.
4. Make your home less prone to flooding
You should take all the usual precautions to avoid things like burst pipes, and you also should make sure your gutters and downspouts are clear of obstructions. Drains should obviously be regularly inspected to make sure they are clear and functioning. After heavy rain, look for areas where water tends to accumulate and make the necessary landscaping repairs to help reduce the problem. Consider building in extra drains, as the small expense involved in doing this may save you a lot of problems later. Flood water can come into your property via the foul drains – one way flap valves can be installed to stop this. Entrance doors can be made flood proof up to a certain level using barriers.
5. Develop a family evacuation and survival plan
It sounds dramatic, but actually having a plan will really help you if the worst should happen. You want to be claiming on your flood insurance, not your life insurance. While you may feel a little silly rehearsing for emergency situations, just do it anyway, because the more efficient and prepared you are, the easier things will be if a flood or other emergency does occur. Think about pets also. Remember that during a flood, many services such as electricity, plumbing, and other essentials may not be available. You may not even be able to obtain food and drinking water. Therefore you should always have an emergency store of food, water, spare clothing, blankets, towels, etc.
The above tips are all common sense, but many thousands of people find themselves in serious trouble when a flood unexpectedly happens. Adequate flood preparation is not difficult to arrange and it will help you avoid the worst of what could potentially happen.
Have you experience loss due to flood damage.
