You know that elusive ‘rainy day’ that you’ve often been told to prepare for? Well, it always has the potential to come, no matter what you might think, and when it does come it could be more than just a bit of rain — it could be a flood. Depending on its location, your home could be at a high risk of flooding, and, if it is, then you need to do something about it now.
You need to shore up your home by making it as flood proof as you can before the waters strike. To see how to do this, read on.
Get your rainy-day fund sorted
Before you begin taking pre-emptive measures in regards to shoring up your home, you need to ensure that you have a rainy-day fund tucked away for if a flood comes. You need to do so because, on the day that the waters strike, you will have enough to worry about without having to fret about spending all of your money on things like finding alternative sleep and eating arrangements. Plus, once the waters have subsided, you will have to finance everything that needs fixing in your home. So, get that rainy-day fund sorted by starting an account into which automated payments are made each month. Make sure this account is hard to access, too, just so you’re not tempted to dip into it at times when you really don’t have to be — if you can’t easily or quickly get into this account on the day that the flood strikes, don’t be afraid to take out a same day loan to cover any expenses there and then, and to then use your rainy-day fund to pay back the amount your borrowed at a later date. Doing so will allow you to focus on what needs to be focused on at the time of a flood: the safety of you and your family.
Take out flood insurance
Something else that you should be doing before you come to physically strengthening your home is to insureit against the possibility of being flooded — if you live in close proximity to an area known for floods, then flood insuranceis not just important, but essential. Doing so, and not only relying on government-issued disaster assistance, will give you the best chance possible of fixing or even rebuilding your home once the waters have calmed without having to spend all of your hard-earned money on doing so.
Move your utilities upstairs
Some things in your home are more prone to flood damage than others are. These include all of your utilities: your electric panel, your boilers, your air-conditioning units, and the rest of your HVAC equipment. If these were to be damaged by flood waters, you would have a huge, and possibly incredibly costly, task on your hands to have them all fixed or repaired. So, get these items as far away from danger as is possible by moving them upstairs and onto higher ground. If you’re worried about the cost of doing so, speak to your insurance agent as they will help to bring the cost right down.
Install a backstop
Whether the rear side of your home directly faces your biggest flood risk, i.e.,a nearby river, or not, you should have a backstop installed to it. Doing so will give your home the barrier it needs against any problems regarding backflow, particularly that that involves sewage water. And if you want to be even safer when it comes to flood proofing, then you should have your basement fortified with a backstop valve by a licensed plumber, as this is a room that can cause massive problems for the rest of your home if flooded.
Pay attention to your landscaping
You may think that flood waters stop for nothing when they get going and flowing, but this is wrong. They can be dealt with, andthey can be tamed, but only if you pay vast amounts of attention to your outdoor landscaping. By taking action such as laying down porous outdoor surfaces, you will force water to seep into the ground rather than come flowing towards your home; by digging swales and other hollow depressions in your garden, you can channel water runoff in any direction you like, and that should mean digging in a way that channels the water as far away from your home as possible; and by converting to gravel or brick that is packed with absorbent mulch, you will diminish the possibility of flood damage in your driveway.
Seriously consider moving
If you just live too close to a flood area to mean that barely anything can be done to prevent damage to you or your home should the waters rise, break their barriers and then flood, seriously considering moving. You may have to leave your perfect, river-side cottage, but the safety of you and your family, as well as all of your worldly possessions, is far more important.
To assist you with moving in this very specific circumstance, make sure to seek and then take all of the assistance that is offered by your region’s flooddepartment. You could be eligible for any number of financial bursaries and help, and could even be a prime candidate for a buyout programmein which your government will buy your home off of you. Don’t worry, if this were to happen, your home would always be valued as it was in the pre-flood or pre-disaster market.
Preparing for a flood is about doing more than just flood proofing your home, it’s about flood proofing your life. It’s about ensuring that your finances are not drained by storm water. More importantly, it’s about making sure that you and your family are kept safe should the waters rise. So, whether this means working on your current home or relocating as far away from a floodplain as you can, do whatever you feel is right for you.