by Angela V How prepared is your home for a flood? We have been thinking about this a lot since last week’s unprecedented flooding after the atmospheric river hit our province, so I have put together a post with some tips to help you prepare for when the unexpected hits.
There are now two more atmospheric rivers in British Columbia’s forecast over the next couple of days, and although thankfully neither is expected to be as intense as the one that triggered widespread flooding and landslides last week, being proactive and staying alert and prepared is always the best way to go.
- Do you have a basement? Set up a sump pump, and if it is electric, make sure to get a battery-operated backup in case the power goes out during the flood. Check that everything is working properly before the heavy rain hits.
- Pay close attention to weather alerts. If a flood watch has been issued, take action, and if there is an evacuation order for your area, act immediately, as every minute counts in that situation.
- If there is a weather alert and you know a possible flooding situation can unfold, be proactive and move furniture, valuables, and any important documents, photographs, etc., to a safe spot in your home. Keep your critical documents like birth certificates, passports, insurance policies, wills in a waterproof safety box in an easy-to-reach place.
- Build a Household Emergency Kit and keep it in an easy-to-reach spot. Ensure that everyone in the family knows where the kit is kept. The kit should contain at least three days’ worth of water and food for everyone in the home, including your pet, along with essentials like flashlights, crank radio, and more. A full list of what you should have in your emergency kit is here: “How to Build a Household Emergency Kit.”
- Purchase Flood Insurance. Check your home insurance and see if it covers the damage costs of floods. If not, it is a good idea to chat with your insurance provider to see what options they offer if you would like to increase your coverage.
- The BC Government has created a comprehensive Flood Preparedness Guide with more in-depth information to help you and your family prepare and stay safe in the event of a flood. You can access it here.
Stay safe, everyone!
14 Comments on “Preparing your Home for a Flood – Tips”
We have had some pretty heavy rains and strong winds here the past few days and not done yet, hopefully not too much damage.
Hoping the best for everyone. So much devastation.
It is so good to be prepared. I can’t imagine how terrifying it would be to have to evacuate.
thank you for the tips! its absolutely devastating what is going on in our beautiful Country
These are amazing tips to follow. Hoping everyone is doing well our thoughts and prayers are with them.
This is sad. We went through a hurricane and had a flooded basement few years ago. I consider we were lucky now. Now the west coast of Newfoundland had the heavy rains and are now cut off from the rest of the island. I spent the last couple of days keeping in contact with family there.
This is so sad, so many homes and businesses gone, I pray for everyone that was involved in this flood
I can relate – 6 years ago living in Oakville Ontario near the lake we had a huge flood destroying our basement – I learned how to drywall and do flooring …. great tips for all – sending you all love I know it is not easy
Very good tips! I do highly recommend the Flood Insurance; it used to not be available to personal insurance clients (individual home owners), its out there now and one of the best investments. I know personally after what happened with the Southern Alberta flood in 2013 (I had a friend who lost their home and valuables which was over $1.85M in losses).
Great tips!
We’ve already built our household emergency kit. I hope people are managing out there.
We have been very fortunate through the last month of flooding but some of our community members have not! My husband and a bunch of other guys from our church are helping clear a neighbour’s basement out this afternoon. Pulling up carpet and throwing out everything they had stored down there!
My brother-in-law and his wife had 4 feet of water in the basement suite they were renting! And to think that they weren’t even the worst off of the damage by this flood!
What a mess this last few weeks has been!
Having 2 sump pumps saved our basement from massive damage this summer. We had a crazy rainstorm and our door well filled with water. We used a sump pump to pump the water out. some still came into the house and there was damage, but it could have been so much worse. We were able to prevent our garage from flooding with the second pump.
Great tips! An emergency preparedness plan is so helpful.