A flood is one of the most common natural disasters in the world. Contrary to what most people think, floods can happen anytime and anywhere, not just in areas near the coastline or those by the riverbed. Floods can be very dangerous – it can ruin your house, business, properties, and ultimately, your life. Therefore, it is very essential that you know how to prepare for floods that can potentially bring about personal tragedies. Here are some tips to guide you on how to protect yourself from the dangers of flooding.
Always keep yourself informed
Like what the famous adage says, information is power. If it has been steadily raining for several hours or days, tune in to local radio stations or watch the television for some flood alerts. There is a possibility of a flood during these circumstances, and being informed about flood developments will certainly help you in taking necessary actions to protect you from flooding hazards.
Alerts, such as a flood watch or a flood warning, can be issued in your area. A flood watch means that flooding is a possibility in your area or location. A flood warning, on the other hand, means that the flood is now happening, or will be happening, in your area. This goes the same for flashflood watch and flashflood warning. However, more drastic safety measures must be done for flashflood alerts since flashfloods occur at a faster pace than ordinary floods.
When a flood watch or flood warning is issued, you should move your furniture and other valuable items to the higher floors of your house. It is recommended to fill your car’s gas tank just in case there is a need to evacuate later on.
When a flash flood watch or warning is issued, evacuate immediately. Flashfloods can only take seconds to get to your home, so you must act quickly. There are even times that flashflood warnings are not issued, so you must stay alert to the signs of flash flooding in your environment. Move to higher ground, and stay away from all bodies of water and all areas subject to flooding, like dips, canyons, and low spots. If you are driving, do not drive around barricades and do not drive through flooded areas. Also, abandon your car immediately once it gets stalled in rapidly rising waters and seek higher ground. Do not park your car near streams or washes, and be especially cautious when driving at night.
Avoid going to already flooded areas and do not ever attempt to cross a flowing stream on foot, especially if the water is above your knees. You run the risk of getting swept away by the raging waters.
You should also know your area’s flood risk. For example, most areas in Louisiana are at high risk for floods, so the measures they are supposed to take against floods may be more drastic than in other areas with lesser flood risk. If you are not sure of your flood risk, you may contact your emergency management office, planning and zoning department or local Red Cross chapter for flood information in your area.
Reduce potential damage
If your area is at high risk for flooding, do not wait for a flood alert before you act. You can opt to elevate your house, install free-standing barriers in your yard, install pumps, and make use of flood-proof materials for your walls, floors, and ceilings. This can be during fair weather as a preventive measure for flood damage. You can consult a professional to help you decide regarding these matters.
However, if you are pressed for time, you can also reduce potential damage by raising your appliances and furniture in areas that may potentially be damaged by the flood. Give special attention to your electronic appliances, such as the water heater, furnace, and electric panel, since these may cause electric shocks.
Apply for flood insurance
Flood insurance will protect you from incurring serious debts due to flood damage. Take note, though, that a basic homeowner’s insurance policy does not cover flood damage, therefore it is essential to get flood insurance for your home. Flood insurances do not protect you against floods per se, but they can help you restore your home and most of your properties without paying for expensive restoration costs.
Flood insurance covers up to $250,000 of you home and $100,000 of your home’s contents. This applies for homeowners only. If you are only renting a house, the flood insurance can still cover up to $100,000 of your belongings. Non-residential property owners can also benefit from flood insurances, since flood insurances can cover up to $500,000 of their buildings and their contents.
Purchase flood insurance as soon as you can since the insurance will take effect 30 days after the purchase date. It is not advisable to buy flood insurance just days or weeks before a predicted storm, for it might be too late.
Flood insurances are most advisable for communities in the flood zone. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has a list of over 19,000 communities in the United States that are in the flood zone area. The law requires the homeowners in these communities to have flood insurance.
To make work easier for flood insurance companies, it is advisable to take pictures of your furniture, appliances, electronic equipment, and other valuable items and store them in a safe place. You must also have receipts of expensive items so that you have a proof of their cost. Make a comprehensive inventory of all the possessions that you have, and also have a copy of important documents safe at home. The original copies must be put in a safer place, like a bank safe deposit box.
Prepare an emergency kit
It is advisable to assemble an emergency kit just in case you need to evacuate and leave your home. The checklist must include the following:
- First aid kit with manual and necessary medications
- Canned food good for three days with canned opener
- At least 3 gallons of water for each person, also good for three days
- Protective clothing, extra clothes for cold weather, sturdy shoes, and sleeping bags and beddings
- Flashlight, battery-powered radio or television, and extra batteries
- For infants: formula feeding, diapers, bottles, and pacifiers
- Kitchen and cooking utensils
- Hygiene items: hand sanitizer, moist wipes, toilet paper, sanitary napkins
- Important documents: personal emergency cards, identification, social security card, proof of medical insurance
- Money and credit cards
- Useful numbers: insurance company and emergency services
Prepare a family disaster or emergency plan
An emergency or disaster plan helps you and your family prepare for different disasters that may strike you, not just floods. To be able to develop a good emergency plan, it must cover all the available options, plus all the safe evacuation places that you can run to.
An emergency plan for floods must consist of evacuation plans, safety places, maps, and all other special needs that are unique in your family, such as handicapped or infant needs.
Evacuation Plans
As mentioned above, there are different warning signals, such as flood watch and flood warning, which can reach you even before the flood gets through to your home. Once there is already a warning, prepare yourself for possible evacuation. Flashflood warnings, in particular, require immediate evacuation since the raging flashfloods can take only seconds to get to your home.
Escape and evacuation routes must be carefully planned and laid out. All family members should know about these escape routes, so that no one gets left behind. Your priority escape route should be the quickest and safest way out. When planning your evacuation, you must also consider worst case scenarios, such as power malfunctions, that can hinder you from accomplishing your plans.
In light of these worst case scenarios, you must develop a backup plan. Make a Plan B, or even a Plan C, just in case Plan A does not work. You can have other options, like escaping from the window or from the balcony if you cannot evacuate from the main door. However, keep your evacuation plan as simple as possible, so that even children can follow it.
Safety Places
If evacuation is not needed, then you can opt to stay inside house, where it is much safer. List down all the safe places inside your home, and determine in which type of disaster that area will be considered safe. For example, while most disasters would count the basement as a safe place, that is not the case for floods. Flood damage most often occurs in the basement, since that is the lowest part of the house. Therefore, staying in the higher floors of your home is more recommended.
Maps
Visual diagrams such as maps will help you document all your emergency plans. You can map you home by drawing the floor plan of your entire home and marking the locations of all possible exits, such as doors, windows, and balconies. You should also indicate where your emergency kit is located, as well as all other pertinent items needed for escape, like a ladder for example. Your map should also show the indoor and outdoor orientation points.
Using pens of different colors, you should also draw at least two evacuation routes. These escape routes must end at a safe point. It is also important to mark safe places inside and outside the house, plus mark an outdoor safe point wherein all the family members should meet in case of emergency.
Special needs
If there is a handicapped family member, then you must also consider all their needs. For example, if someone uses a wheelchair, you should make an escape route wherein the wheelchair can pass through. Bed-bound family members also require a different plan. There should be two plans for them: one plan with the caregiver involved; and another plan just in case the caregiver is not present during the flood.
For family members dependent on electrical life support equipment, such as mechanical ventilators, there should be a plan that includes an alternate power source.
Following all these flood preparation tips may not guarantee that you will not incur any flood damage, but it will certainly equip you with the necessary knowledge and resources needed to win over flood damage.
