Prepare & Prevent Your Home From Flooding

In the wake of the heartbreaking devastation caused by hurricanes Harvey and Irma, it makes us thankful for everything we have and also ask ourselves, "How can we prevent flooding from occurring in our home?" The environment is undoubledly changing and storms are becoming stronger and more frequent so it's only a matter of time before the next natural disaster occurs. Luckily, Southern California is not usually the strike zone for incredibly strong storms, but it's always smart to be prepared for anything. Balboa Realty, the Orange County Property Management gurus, outlines some advice on how to prevent your home from flood damage.

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Buy Flood Insurance

To financially protect yourself, purchasing flood insurance is a must for most homes and when you live within a 100 year floodplain it's absolutely essential. The federal government will likely require that you purchase insurance if they're the ones backing your mortgage loan.  Even if you don't live in a direct flood zone or in an area with high risk, it's still important to get insurance. Take a look at the FEMA website and you can enter in your address, download a map and see exactly where the designated flood zones are and how high the risk is. You know what they say, it's better safe than sorry. 

Check Your Plumbing 

Many people know that basements flood due to groundwater flooding and excessive rainfall, but some are unaware that basements can flood when the plumbing equipment in your home fails. Be sure to check and see that your plumbing is functioning properly because if a pipe bursts or a washer hose or water heater breaks you will be in deep waters. It doesn't take long for a basement to fill with water when hundreds of gallons of water is gushing out so you'll want to find the source of the issue and then shut off the failed plumbing. Remember to avoid touching the water to avoid bacteria and possibly getting electrocuted.

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Bring Equipment to Higher Ground 

Keeping important equipment such as boilers, A/C units, and generators out of harms way is definitely a good idea. This HVAC equipment keeps your house running smoothly so you need to protect them from potential harm such as flooding. If flooding was to occur, these important pieces of equipment are usually located at ground level so they would be susceptible to flood damage. You can mitigate this risk by placing them on elevated platforms or moving them to the second floor of a house if possible. 

Published on Friday, September 15, 2017