A Flood Is Coming… What Should You Do?

Of all the measures you as a homeowner can take to prevent water damage, there are some situations that, even with the most diligent preparation, your home will still be damaged. The most common situation where this may occur is during a flood. Some floods known as flash floods come suddenly, unexpectedly without adequate warning to prepare at all. Fortunately, however, you often have at least some notice if your home is going to be flooded due to a rise in the water level or a natural disaster of some sort. That is what we want to discuss here. What should you do when you know a flood is coming?

Flood Safety Tips

Below are a few important points regarding how you should prepare. Also, in the aftermath of a flood our professional team of contractors at K-Tech Cleaning in the Stevens Point area is here to help you whenever the need arises.

Protect Your Most Important Valuables

This is a pretty obvious first step to take if you know a flood is coming. Any valuables you have, especially those that would be severely damaged by water, should be removed from your house or at least moved higher up where the floodwater shouldn’t reach. The rule of thumb here is better safe than sorry. If you’re not sure your valuables will be safe in a certain area, move them to a different place where you are sure they will be safe.

Build A Sandbag Defense Barrier

This may be hard work, but it will definitely pay off when a flood begins encroaching upon your home. Sandbags aren’t a surefire defense against a flood. If the flood is serious enough there will still be damage. Nonetheless, sandbags are effective in redirecting the water flow to keep water from seeping into your sliding glass doors or ground level windows. Since the cost of flood damage averages between 10,000 and 30,000 dollars, it is reasonable to invest a few hundred dollars into sandbags to minimize the damage.

Turn Off Your Electricity And Gas

Don’t take the risk of not doing this. Turning off your electricity and gas will keep you safer and prevent possible further damage to your home.

Buy And Install Sump Pumps

Sump pumps can be battery powered or hook into your existing power supply or both. Get both. Storms that bring floodwaters often knock out electric power for days or weeks. You’ll need a system that can run on backup batteries or a generator. When the power goes out, pumps running on electrical current won’t run as long as those designed to run specifically on a12-volt battery. Have a knowledgeable electrician or plumber evaluate your system and recommend the best backup for your home.

Despite your best efforts to keep your home water damage free, Mother Nature often has different plans. Keep up to date on potential flood disastersnear your home and follow these steps above to minimize the damage done to your home. Our certified technicians at K-Tech Cleaning in the Stevens Point area will be able to assist you in the cleanup process of whatever water damage remains.