As winter approaches, it’s important to stay cautious of the potential of flooding in your area. Do you prepare your home for winter? What precautions are you taking to stay alert to flooding?
We have gathered some helpful information from Ready Government to aid you in preparation, and the after care of a flood.
Floods Can:
- Result from rain, snow, coastal storms, storm surges or overflows of dams and other water systems.
- Develop slowly or even quickly. Flash floods can come with no warning.
- Cause outages, disrupt transportation, cause roads to close or damage buildings and create landslides.
Preparing For A Flood
It’s important to have a flood action plan in place, even if you don’t think you’ll ever need to use it. Be sure to create an escape route for your family, and plan ahead for your animals. Take the time to scope out alternate routes, incase of road closure.
Are your important documents in a safe place? We suggest keeping birth certificates, and other documents in a weather proof safe. That way, even if you don’t have time to grab it on your way out, hopefully it will stay secure and not damage the contents inside.
It’s often said to clean your gutters with the change of season, but this task is not to be overlooked in the winter. Declutter the fall leaves, and any other gunk so that a potential excess of water can be easily diverted from your home.
If You Are Under Flood Warning
- Find shelter quickly.
- Do not walk, swim, or drive through a flooded area.
- Stay off bridges that are over fast moving water. The structure of the bridge may be in danger.
Stay Safe After The Flood
- Pay attention to authorities’ instructions. Tune into the news, or see what your local government is saying on Facebook.
- Try to avoid driving.
- Wear heavy work gloves for cleaning up. There may be broken glass, or other debris in the mess.
- If someone in your family has asthma, be alert that mold could disrupt their immune system. Try to exclude small children from the cleanup process.
- Be aware that wild animals like snakes may have gotten into your home.
- Use a generator only outside, and away from windows.
Even if you don’t think flooding will happen in your area, the course of weather in our world is often changing, and it’s much better to be prepared than to be surprised.
Flood insurance is separate from your homeowners or your renters insurance. For more assistance in your flood preparation, give the Corwin-Rey team a call today, at 360-414-8754.