Once you know how high flood waters are anticipated to rise, you may take precautions to safeguard the items most vulnerable to water damage. Everything from televisions and laptops to your air conditioner and backup generator should be elevated on and fastened to a concrete block. It’s also a good idea to double-check your electrical outlets and switches. All of these should be at least one foot higher above flood level. Even if a storm does not produce enough water to flood your home, it can still cause damage if your sewage backs up and flows into your property. Install a backflow or gate valve on every sewage line that links to your home to avoid this. The purpose of these valves is to keep water flowing in the proper direction, which is out.

If you’ve ever had a leaky roof, you know how little issues may quickly escalate into major damage when water is involved. Take care of key maintenance jobs on and around your house to reduce the chances of water damage (in any weather): Make sure your gutters are clean. Make sure they’re firmly attached to your roof. Check the spouts on your rain gutters. Make sure they’re positioned so that water drains away from your home and the homes of your neighbors. As needed, make repairs to your roof. A new roof might set you back a few thousand dollars, but it can save you tens of thousands of dollars in water damage. Even better, if you have a new roof, certain homeowners insurance providers may offer cheaper prices.

Whether your yard floods as a result of a freak accident or a period of terrible weather, the water may quickly seep into your basement and through your foundation. Fortunately, landscapers have a few options for reducing this danger, including: Creating a slant in your yard away from your house. This comprises locating high and low places on your land and filling up the gaps with earth to direct water away from your house. In the garden, mulch is used. Mulch absorbs precipitation and helps to keep soil in place. To keep the mulch from decomposing, allow a distance between it and your house. I’m taking it easy on the mowing. Grass roots absorb water and help to prevent floods, but they are weakened when grass is trimmed too short.

The majority of the suggestions on this list are for dry floodproofing, or keeping water out of your home. However, you may also use wet floodproofing, which enables water to enter enclosed places. Wet floodproofing maintains a balance of water on the interior and outside of your property, reducing the possibility of foundation fractures (or worse). Isn’t that crazy? However, popular wet-flood-proofing techniques such as foundation vents and sump pumps are well-known. However, there are a few crucial cautions to keep in mind if you go this path. Wet floodproofing, for starters, should only be employed in non-livable regions like crawl spaces. Wet floodproofing is a bad alternative due to the cost of cleaning and rebuilding habitable parts. And while we’re on the subject of cleaning, keep in mind that wet floodproofing has no effect on other flood concerns, such as damage from flowing water or flood-borne trash and toxins.