Protect Your Property from the Hazard

For most people, owning a home is one of the largest and most important investments that they will make. So why not take extra precaution in protecting it from potential flood damage?

The best way to protect a building from flood threats is to locate it outside of a special flood hazard area. While this may not be feasible for structures that are already built, locating a structure outside of higher risk flood zone areas does the greatest job at lowering the risk of it being inundated with floodwaters during a storm event.

The second best option is to elevate a structure (including its appliances and utilities) to be higher than the base flood elevation for the special flood hazard area that it is in. Our current building code requires residential properties in special flood hazard areas to be elevated 1-foot above an established BFE. Keep in mind that this is a minimum, elevating higher may be allowable and will further lessen the chance of floodwaters entering the structure. This can also be a possible way of retrofitting existing buildings and may actually be required for properties that have had substantial damage or substantial improvements.

Protect your property using some of these methods:

• Purchase flood insurance - One of the best ways to protect your financial investment by securing flood insurance to cover damages that may incur during a flood event.
• During high speed wind events like hurricanes, cover your windows with plywood or approved shutter systems to prevent flying debris from damaging them
• Prepare a list of belongings - Documentation of belongings will help with an insurance claim process. Take photos of items or a video walk-through of the home prior to an event.
• Elevate utilities - elevate or floodproof mechanical units, heat pumps, water heaters, electrical systems and other utilities at least 1-foot above the BFE.
• Consider installing tile - tiles are more flood-resistant than most other flooring types and may be able to withstand some flood-waters.
• Install flood vents - if you are above a crawlspace or have a low-lying garage or shed, consider installing flood vents to allow the passage of floodwaters.
• Seal cracks and gaps - Check caulking around doors and windows to make sure it is not cracked, broken, or missing. Fill any holes or gaps around pipes and wires entering your building.
• Direct water away from structures - Slope the yard away from buildings. Make sure your gutters are clean and properly direct the flow of storm water away from the building.
• Using sandbags to prevent water intrusion - place sandbags around entrances to the building to help keep rising waters out.
• Turn off utilities that may be affected by water - in the event that water does reach a certain utility, turning it off may keep it from getting ruined by shorting out.

Some of these tips may work better than others. Mitigation measures need to be tailored to your property. Also, not all of these options work together, so talk with an expert who can help you identify which options work best for you. Always consult with professionals such as your insurance agent, architects, engineers, contractors, or other experts in design and construction before making changes to your home.

Additional information about protecting your home from flooding can be found on this publication from FEMA.