Tips to Prepare Your Home or Business for a Flood

2/22/2022 (Permalink)

There are ways to help prepare your property for a flood. You can make several modifications to try and prevent any damage fr

Rainy season is right around the corner and with severe rainfall comes the higher potential for flooding in your home or business. If you do have a flood situation, SERVPRO of Gainesville West/Alachua County West is here to help. We are the drying experts and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

There are ways to protect your home/business from flooding. Here are some tips to get you started.

Know Your Area

Be aware of your surroundings. Do you know where your home or business lies? There are certain places that are more of a flood risk than others. These include coastal areas, sewer systems nearby, next to a body of water and property at the bottom of hill.

Learn more details about your home or business’ level of flood risk, including the type of flood zone it is in and, if available, the potential flood elevation. You can check FEMA’s online Flood Map Service Center at https://msc.fema.gov/portal/home or visit the officials in your community who maintain the FEMA flood maps and elevation certificates. And remember, more than 25% of flood insurance claims come from properties that are not in an identified high-risk zone. All properties have the potential or flood damage.

Prepare

There are ways to help prepare your property for a flood. You can make several modifications to try and prevent any damage from occurring during a storm or flood.

Some of these include:

• Install check valves to help prevent sewer lines from flooding your drains.
• Install sump pumps with a battery backup.
• Elevate valuable equipment (furnaces, electric panels, water heaters, etc).
• Maintain proper water runoff and drainage. Properly maintain gutters, downspouts and splash pads.
• Improve lot grading. Determine how water flows or accumulates around your home, identify trouble spots.
• Reduce impervious surfaces around your home.

Do you know when flooding is serious?

Do you know the difference between a Flood Watch and a Flood Warning?

Flood Watch means flooding is possible in your area. Be prepared to evacuate.

Flood Warning means a flood is happening or about to happen. Evacuate immediately if instructed.

SERVPRO is here for all your restoration needs. We can’t stop the flood from happening, but when we are done cleaning, it will be “Like it never even happened.”

Call 352-374-6589 for more information or to schedule an appointment.