Tips on how to prepare for a flood
- Know how to shut off the electricity and gas to your house when a flood comes.
- Make a list of emergency numbers and identify a safe place to go.
- Make a household inventory, especially the basement contents.
- Put insurance policies, valuable papers, medicine, etc in a safe place.
- Collect and put cleaning supplies, camera, waterproof boots, etc in an easily accessible place.
- Develop a disaster response plan. Visit the Red Cross’ website for information about preparing for a disaster.
- Consider permanent flood protection measurements such as elevating your home, repair window caulk, installing flood drain plugs, standpipe, overhead sewer, or sewer backup valve. More information can be found on FEMA’s website.
- Getting a flood insurance policy helps pay for repairs after a flood, and it some cases, it will help pay for the costs of elevating a substantially damaged building.
- Identify your flood hazard by visiting FEMA’s Flood Map and entering your address. There you can see your flood zone and ‘minimum required elevation’ to best understand your flood risk.