How to Protect Yourself From Flooding?

Flood can be a real threat to your house, depending on your location. Seasonal changes and unfavourable weather could make the risky of flood to become higher. Flood zones can change and even if your area was originally declared flood-free, it may not last forever. While you can’t prevent the force of nature, you can still be prepared and minimize the risk of flooding. First of all, you need to understand the risk and review the condition of the surrounding. If there’s a risk of flooding, you will be prepared for it. If it is clear that flood could potentially happen in the future, determine whether water could actually get in your home.

You need to be fully prepared for the potential problem. Make sure that your flood insurance is up to date. There should be flood vents that divert water away from your main building and if you already have those, make sure that they actually work.  You should respect the power of water. It may look gentle in a calm river, but flash flood could flatten many houses instantly. So, you should know whether flooding in your area is rising slowly or whether it’s fast moving. The risk of flash flood is higher if your home is located near a slope or river. If possible, your home should be located on high ground, but not near any slope, because the stability of the soil can be poor.

Consider putting sandbags around your home. Sandbags that are supported by compacted soil on one side should be able to hold back water for a few days. Flood will ruin your electronics, so make sure that you backup your data during rainy seasons. Optical media like DVD and Blu-Ray discs are more resistant to moisture, so they are preferable. It’s even better to upload your data to cloud storage services, like Google Drive and Dropbox. If you put your data in at least a couple of cloud services, there’s a small chance that you will lose them. If there are reports of flood nearby, you should turn off gas and electricity immediately, to avoid electrical shocks and explosions.

Valuables should be moved upstairs or other safer places. Expensive electronics, such as computer, large flat TV and stereo should be moved when the risk of flood is evident. Large appliances like fridge and washing machines can be too heavy, so they should be located permanently at safer places that are higher than ground level. Invest on smartphone charger with solar cells, because you will never know when power will return. It may take too long to fully charge a powerful smartphone, but it’s better to have some battery juice to allow you to communicate, when you need it. Small, solar powered radio could also be helpful, because cellular service could be down too during a flood. Be aware that the flood water could be contaminated by sewage or industrial waste. It could carry dangerous microorganisms or toxic substances. So, avoid contact with flood water if possible by moving to dry areas away from the actual flood.

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