Protecting Your Home Against Floods

Few Floridians are immune from the danger of flood. 80% of us live or work on or near the coast, while a majority of the remaining 20% are near rivers and other inland floodplains.

You can’t stop a flood, but there are things you can do to protect yourself and your home. If you don’t know already, find out if your home is in a flood-prone area. Your insurance agent can help you with this.

Next, make sure you have the right insurance. Homeowners policies don’t include flood insurance. You need a separate policy, which is available through the Federal Government’s National Flood Insurance Program.

In addition to insurance, there are other steps you can take that help minimize flood damage to your home – especially if you’re building a new home or renovating an existing one.

• Add waterproof veneer to the outside walls of your home. This can help reduce interior damage in areas where floods are generally two feet or less.
• Keep your home’s electrical systems at least 1 foot above the 100-year flood level.
• Anchor fuel tanks. Unanchored tanks are easily moved by flood waters and can cause a lot of damage.
• Elevate air conditioning and heating systems to upper floors or attics. If this is not possible, consider surrounding it with a concrete or masonry floodwall.
• Install sewer line backflow valves. These help prevent sewer lines from backing up into the house in a flood.