How to protect your house when a flood hits
How to protect your house when a flood hits
Heavy rains and stormy winds can often flood your locality, sometimes in unprecedented ways. With the extreme weather conditions that we are facing today previously unflooded areas can receive a months worth of rainfall in one day. Therefore, it is important that everyone knows how to react to an event such as a flood.
Whilst these acts of god can strike at anytime there are a number of things you can do to try to safeguard your home from flash floods.
The first and foremost step is that you must stop water from coming into your home.
If severe rains or storms are expected to reach your area, cover your doors and windows with wood, sheets of metal, or sandbags, particularly if you reside in an area that is prone to flooding. A silicone sealant is a good water-proofing material that will keep your house free from water logs. Though these measures do not help over an elongated period, they may be beneficial in the short-run to protect from a flood and keep your home dry.
Switch off your electricity, water and gas lines to minimise short circuits, leakages and fire.
These utilities have to be shut down at the mains, not just for appliances. Remember to remove the plugs of all electrical appliances and place them at a height above the expected flood level, possibly the second floor of your home. The level of water entering the house can escalate to a few feet yet storing things at height in the home can prevent them from getting damaged.
It is important to be mindful of furniture and appliances.
Make sure that these appliances or furniture are moved upstairs, since you cannot afford to buy them again without a large insurance claim.
If a second floor is not available, as in case of a bungalow, raise items by arranging them on blocks or bricks. Your curtains and carpets should be removed immediately, you should even remove the internal doors in your home.
If you want to give protection from water to any of your possessions, all these should be stored in raised places.
The second floor of the house can be used for putting down all the important papers and pictures. To ensure total safety, you can put them up in waterproof containers like the ones used for storing food. Otherwise, to make sure the important papers are safe against water, place them in sealed plastic bags.
Rakes and other objects, that lie outside your house must be placed in secure places. They should be kept safely because they can float easily in floodwater and this can cause various other problems. Any possessions that may be washed out by the storm must be kept in a lockable area like a garage. Floods do not spare even heavy items like wheelbarrows as they could float away in water if left carelessly, however, garden implements can be kept safe and away from flood water when kept in garage or shed.
Certain things are to be kept in mind if there is a flood warning in your area.
Information is crucial during situations like these.
To keep yourself updated about the broadcasts and announcements, listening to the radio. Extend your full cooperation to emergency services and local authorities. In case, they want you to vacate, just follow their instructions and your evacuation as quick as possible, since you are endangering your life as well as those of the helpers until you are safe.
As electricity if often unavailable in such cases plan to complete all preparatory work during day. Also doing things in the night can be risky. For emergency purposes, ensure that you load your torches with fresh batteries and also have a spare on hand.
Alert your older neighbours to any new warnings, so they can get ready for the floods.
Avoid moving out of your homes. Floodwater can kill, especially when it is raging, so do not attempt to go out. Remember that even six inches of rapid currents can cause you to fall and even two feet of water can lift a car!.
Cars and household pets should be removed to a place where they will be out of danger. Once you heard of flood warning, you should stay on the second floor of your house. During uncontrollable floods, it is not advised to swim as there would be items floating along which could hit you. If you risk this you may be knocked over by the floating objects.
Avoid contact with floodwater if possible, as it could be polluted with dirt and sewage. It would be a pitty to survive the flood but get sick due to exposure to contaminated water. River bridges, sea defenses, and riverbanks are very dangerous places to be in during floods, so be sure to steer away from them if possible. The defenses and bridges have often collapsed in the past due to the floodwater.