Precautions To Take When Your Home Is in a Flood Zone

11/13/2020 (Permalink)

Living next to the beach or in a low-lying area may be a lifelong dream, but it can come with added risks. One such risk is having a home in a flood zone. You don't have to give up what may otherwise be a great location, though. There are several precautions you can take to minimize your risk of flood damage.

Protect Your Home

An active storm season in Florida can test the boundaries of your home like nothing else. While you may not be able to fully keep your home from flooding, there are several ways you can prepare for an upcoming rainstorm:

• Put sandbags out as a barrier against rising water.
• Install a sump pump in your basement on or the lower level of your home.
• Place outlets or sensitive equipment higher on the wall or on a shelf.

It's also a good idea to have an evacuation plan, just in case the water rises so high you need to leave your home. Even if your home floods, you can have measures already in place to deal with the fallout. 

Purchase Insurance

If your home is in a flood zone, you need to have flood insurance. This coverage is not typically part of your homeowners' policy, so you'll need to purchase it separately. If your insurance company doesn't offer flood insurance, you can get a referral for a company that does from the National Flood Insurance Program.

Plan for Remediation

Flooding can produce serious damage to your home. Have the contact information for local flood restoration specialists handy. They can assess the damage to your home and give you an estimate of how much the repairs are going to cost.

When your home is in a flood zone, you have to take some factors into consideration that other homeowners do not. You may be able to minimize some damage. For the damage that you can't avoid, though, you need trusted cleanup professionals and an insurance policy that covers it.