How to Protect Your Home From Flooding

In the United States, the most commonly occurring natural disaster is flooding. Unfortunately, it is also the most costly.

Fortunately, you can do many things to minimize the potential risk of flooding for your home. They range from more to less expensive, and to know what’s crucial to protecting your home, it’s important to understand the flood risks in your area.

You can search for your property address on the FEMA website to know your flood risk. At the National Emergency Management Website, you are able to find the flood level of your home.

This is an official measurement of how high the floodwaters could potentially rise in your areas. This information will come in handy when deciding which measures are needed for your area.

Buy Flood Insurance

First and foremost, FEMA recommends that everyone purchase a National Flood Insurance Policy from their insurance company.

Your standard homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover damage from floods. 25% of insurance flood claims come from areas that are not considered moderate-high risk.

Even 1 inch of standing water can be devastating to your home and wallet if you are not prepared, costing upwards of $25,000.

Review Your Landscaping

Pay attention when it rains to the flow of water along your property. If there is anywhere within 3 feet of your home that water collects, it is a flood risk.

Water should flow away from your home. You can address this in a few ways. The largest thing to tackle is the grade or slope of the ground surrounding your home. Improve the grading so that storm water runs away from the building.

It’s recommended to have a barrier of rocks surrounding your home to protect the grade from washing away.

If floodwater accumulates in your streets, it may be optimal to discuss the grade with your city planner, who will have an accurate assessment of drainage in your area.

The other things you can do are to ensure that you have gutters, downspouts, and splash pads on your home, and that these all send the rainwater flowing away from your home. Make sure that they are cleared from debris and maintained regularly.

Any outdoor equipment like fuel tanks, air conditioning units, or generators should be anchored, to prevent them from breaking free and severing the supply lines.

Seal Foundation Cracks

Any cracks in the foundation or floor of your basement leave you vulnerable for floodwater to seep in. Luckily, they can be sealed with calk and mortar, or hydraulic cement. The hydraulic cement actually expands and completely seals the gaps, although it is more expensive to use.

There are also “dry flood-proofing” sealants that you can apply to all the basement walls, floors, and even window frames and doorways.

Install a Battery Operated Sump Pump

Sump Pumps can be an amazing asset when your basement actually begins to flood.

They work by propelling the groundwater rising in the basement away from your home. It is recommended to have a battery back-up one, to ensure that if there is a power outage that it still works.

Prevent Sewer Backups

When the sewer system floods, it can cause sewage to back up into your home.

Fortunately, you can prevent this.

All basement floor drains should have back-plugs installed, to prevent sewer backups. All pipes entering and exiting the building should have a backflow valve, which does need to be installed by a licensed plumber.

This is important to prevent the wastewater from backing up and entering your home through drains, toilets, bathtubs, sinks, and any other drains.

You can also install foundation vents on the lowest level in areas where flooding is common. This allows water to flow through the designated spaces so that the structure of the building isn’t compromised by water pressure buildup in situations with running water. This is common along the large waterways, and has allowed many of the high-rises along the coast to survive both hurricanes and accompanied flooding.

Elevate Appliances and Electrical Equipment

Ultimately, it’s most important to elevate all of the electrical and appliance equipment. Washers, dryers, and hot water heaters should all be above the ground floor, especially in high risk areas.

Water heaters, furnaces, and anything that can’t be relocated by a licensed professional should be raised to at least 1 foot above the potential flood level. If you’re planning to build a home, it’s important to ensure that all electrical outlets and plugs and circuit boards are also installed at least 1 foot above the flood level.

If you live in a home where flooding is a danger, it’s worth consideration to have these items relocated to the safe level by a licensed professional to prevent significant electrical damage.

Raise Your Home

While expensive and it’s important to note that this option does not make sense in every situation, some situations like coastal homes absolutely require this measure.

If your home is built below the flood plain level, or is in an area where flooding regularly happens, you can raise your home’s flood plain level by raising the house up on stilts or piers.

If you recall from above that even one inch of water can cause significant damage to your home, raising your home even by a small amount can drastically improve your home’s resistance to flooding.

Steps to Take for an Emergency Flood Situation

1. Make sure your gutters are clear and all downspouts are angled away from your home.
2. Set up a battery powered sump pump draining away from the home to slow water levels from rising.
3. Bring all rugs and smaller sized personal items and electronics to the highest level of your home.
4. If water levels are approaching any of the electrical outlets or equipment, shut off the main electrical supply.
5. If the water is coming from a broken pipe, shut off the water line.