Adding Cofferdams to Your Flood Mitigation Strategies
Flooding affects more homeowners than and other natural disaster, according to FEMA. As of 2015, the average claim for damage caused by a flood was over $46.000. Flood mitigation strategies are necessary for those who wish to protect their home.
How Can I Protect My Home?
There are many steps you can take as a homeowner to protect yourself from a possible flood scenario. The first step you may want to take is to perform a risk assessment. FEMA offers a one step flood risk profile. You should also have contingency plans in place for dealing with communication during an emergency, as well as having an emergency kit on-hand. Unfortunately, most homeowners insurance does not actually cover damage from floods.
If you live in a high flood risk area, here are a few tips to help minimize the impact of a flood on your home:
- Ensure that your basement walls have been completely waterproofed
- Use “check valves.” These valves stop the reverse flow of water and will help to stop flood water from backing up into your home’s drains
- Elevate your furnace, electric panel (circuit breaker,) and your water heater off of the ground to a reasonable level that you are able to accommodate
- If you are in a particularly flood-prone area, you may even consider raising the outlets to the mid-level of the walls in your home
- Construct barriers around your home to keep flood waters out
