How to prepare for floods!

Mountaineer Insurance Services > Blog > Blog > Floods > How to prepare for floods!

April 24, 2019

Floods

Even if you’re not in a flood zone, you may have to deal with extreme wet weather at some point, putting a strain on your home’s water resistance. Here are a few tips for how to keep water out of your basement or home and away from your valuables.

    1. Make sure you have a good sump pump, maintained and ready to go. There’s a big difference between a cheap sump pump and highly rated one with a large capacity. Making a little larger investment may mean you can spend less money in damages later.
    2. Ensure that you have a backup power supply. Without it, your sump pump is useless.
    3. Clean your gutters and downspouts. If they’re clogged, the rain may be redirected toward your home’s foundation, instead of away from the house.
    4. Consider your below-grade windows or doors. Is there a way you can direct water away from them? Or do you need to consider renovations, to close off those areas that might be more susceptible to floods or excess water runoff? Again, a little investment in keeping your home protected may mean that you don’t have to worry about water damage later.
  1. If water in your home is inevitable, move valuables out of the basement or at least off the basement floor. This will keep your replacement costs down to a minimum, if you experience a loss.

When a natural disaster gets close to your home and authorities recommend you evacuate, it’s important that you leave immediately. Don’t wait to be “ordered” to leave. Departing right away can help you avoid being caught in the fire, floods, or road congestion. It also means you’ll need to have a plan in place and your evacuation kit ready to go. Here are a few tips for packing an emergency supply kit:

  1. Pack your items in crates or bags you can easily carry. You’ll store them in your car but may need to cart them to other locations.
  2. Include food and water for everyone in your household. Three gallons of water per person and a three-day supply of non-perishable food is a good start.
  3. Pack a change of clothes for up to a week and personal hygiene items.
  4. Bundle up what you’ll need for the little ones. Infant supplies, such as formula or milk, bottles, baby food, diapers, and wipes, may be hard to come by, so pack what you’ll need.
  5. Don’t forget your pets. Include food, water, medications, travel crates or cages, leash, and/or litter box and litter for your furry friends.
  6. Remember medication. Pack a supply of prescription medications and eye care, if needed, such as contact solution and glasses.
  7. Carry your ID, important papers, and cards. You’ll want to bring your driver’s license, passport, health insurance cards, legal documents (birth certificates, social security cards, will, vehicle registration and ownership papers, marriage/divorce papers, etc.), financial records, such as bank account information, credit and debit cards, government benefits, retirement and investment account statement, tax returns, as well as copies of your insurance policies.
  8. Include a battery-powered radio, extra batteries, and a flashlight.
  9. Bring your cell phone and charger, along with some cash in case power is out in the area and ATM’s are not available.
  10. If you have time, pack valuables, family photos or other irreplaceable items, laptop computers, etc. If you don’t have room for computers, you can bring just the hard drive or a thumb-drive with your important data stored on it. It’s best to back-up all of your computers to a cloud or put the data on a disk or drive to be stored somewhere safe, ahead of time, so you don’t have to do it in a rush.
  11. Don’t forget a first aid kit with supplies to treat injuries.