The threat of a home or basement flood is a serious risk that must be prepared for whether or not you live in a high risk area. If your home is located in an area that is under a flood warning, you should take the following precautions and be ready to evacuate.

Flood Preparation

If you know that conditions will be right for a flood or that a serious storm is moving in, prepare your home and your family in case you have to evacuate.

• Board up windows (especially those on daylight basements) to protect them from heavy rain and the force of flood water.
• Move outdoor furniture and other large lawn items into your garage or basement to protect them from being carried away.
• Collect up keys, important documents, medications and other essentials that you will not want to leave behind. Pack these in a “go bag” and leave them by the door so that you will not forget them.
• Take pictures of your highest priced valuables in case any of these items get damaged and are in need of water repair later on (your insurance company may require these “before” pictures).
• Put items that you do not intend to bring with you in a waterproof safe so that they will be protected if flood water gets into your home. If you do not have a safe, move these items to a higher floor to give them a better chance of withstanding water damage. The goal is to minimize the number of items that a water restoration company will need to work on after home flood damage occurs. 

Flood Evacuation

If you need to evacuate your home due to flood water, remain calm. Secure children, pets and important items that you will need to take with you. Then, exit your home quickly and in and orderly fashion so that you do not leave anything behind or forget to take precautions like closing and locking doors.

Once you are out, go to your safe place to meet up with any family that is elsewhere during the flood event. Listen to a weather radio broadcast so that you know where to go if your evacuation route or destination is also affected. Be sure to follow police and emergency personnel directions to avoid putting yourself in further damage. Do not get trapped in your car during a flood – follow the old adage “turn around – don’t drown.”

Important Reminders

Hopefully you are prepared for a flood now, but there are a few other things you should take note of as well:

• Always listen to local emergency personnel when they tell you to leave your home or not to travel on a certain road.
• When walking through water, use a stick to determine water depth so that you do not fall into and get carried away by deep water.
• Never drive through flooded areas! Even if water depth is known, fast moving currents can be difficult to spot and can get you into trouble quickly.
• Always be aware of the potential for electrical danger when entering a flooded home.
• Always rely on a water repair professional to do a water pump out and subsequent repair work to ensure that work will be done properly.

Get more information on flood preparedness before an issue arises and find a certified flood repair professional after a water event – call USA Water and Fire Restoration today at 1-800-501-3046.

Additional resources:
Are you at a higher flood risk?
What does flood water do to a house?
Which kinds of houses are more likely to flood?
Top reasons why basements flood
A guide to understand flood definitions and warnings
Can floods cause major damage to your house?
Common basement flooding causes
Steps to take to recover after home flooding
Flood damage: will insurance help?
Is restoration after flood damage expensive?
How costly is flooded basement restoration?
What to do after experiencing flooding
Does a home warranty cover basement flooding?
What are the best cleaning products to disinfect after a flood?
Is the town responsible for flood damage?
Dangers of living with a flooded basement