How to Protect Your Family and Home in the Event of Severe Flooding

With hurricane season on the rise, it's more important than ever to know how to protect your home and property from the severe damage that can result from flooding. The following are a few tips to ensure that you are prepared if the next hurricane or flood hits:

Make sure you have a stocked emergency preparedness kit at your home. This is not only important during hurricane season, but all year. Each kit may vary from house to house, but should include the basics such as a flashlight, portable radio, extra batteries, a supply of non-perishable foods and bottled water, a first aid kit, extra prescription medication, and extra food and supplies for infants and pets. It should also be noted that waiting to gather these things until emergency warnings have been issued may be too late. Stores' supply of water, food and first aid supplies are usually wiped clean right before a natural disaster and you don't want to be caught unprepared. Put your emergency kit together now. In the event that you have to leave your home, it is also important to have a "go bag" that is completely stocked with everything you might need if you had to leave your home. Make sure to find out if you live in an area that is at a high risk for flooding. If you are, it would be wise to buy flood insurance in the event that your property is damaged from a flood. Flood insurance often requires you to make a record of all your personal property. This is easier to do prior to being struck by disaster, so make an itemized list of your furniture, clothing and valuables - including photographs or video of each. Protect these insurance policy documents in a waterproof and fireproof box or make electronic copies and store them online. Be sure to keep your rain gutters free of debris in order to help with sediment control in the event of a flood. Hurricanes often bring large amounts of rain, so having clear drainage will help the water drain and prevent unnecessary flooding. Keep trees and shrubbery surrounding your home from being overgrown in order to keep tree limbs that could be blown down and cause damage during a storm to a minimum. Make sure that any outdoor furniture you have (i.e. sheds, patio furniture, playhouses, etc.) are anchored securely to the ground to prevent them from being blown away or into your home during a storm. You could make a list of the items that you need to bring inside during a storm to make this process faster.