Facing a flood is something that no family wants to go through, but unfortunately, sometimes life surprises us with one. Whether it is a flash flood or something large such as a “500-year flood,” the damage that is sustained can often be expensive both in money and in other areas such as quality of life or even life itself. Learning how to prepare for unexpected flooding before it happens can mean the difference between surviving or potentially losing your life. While it’s true that you can’t truly prepare for a flood or the damage it will do, there are a few simple steps that you can take to lessen the damage and the risk to your family.
Know general flood safety rules – Knowing the general rules of flood safety is the first step to keeping both yourself and your family safe in an unexpected flood. Simple things like when to climb to higher ground, to turn around and not drown and more are usually enough to keep your safe.
Have a Go-Bag ready – Having a 72-hour emergency bag or a “go bag” ready is one of the most important preparations for an unexpected flood that you can do. In it you’ll want to keep spare copies of all of your identifying documents, cash, extra phones with extra chargers, spare debit cards, 72-hours’ worth of food and water and a couple of clean changes of clothing.
Have Flood Insurance – Flood insurance isn’t available to everyone, but if you live in a flood plain, you do qualify. Having this peace of mind helps you to know that even if all your physical possessions are ruined in a flood, that your insurance will be there to help you restart. It will usually run you around $25 each month and is well worth having for those that flooding is a high risk for.
Have a Way Out – When flood waters start to rise, you might have to make a very quick escape which makes having a way out an imperative prep. Whether it is a boat or some other quick method of transportation, you’ll want to make sure that if you live in a flood plain that you have it ready to go with any supplies you need already stocked.
Have generator on hand – Sometimes, your area will flood but you won’t need to move. Thousands of people are trapped in their homes by flood water each year. By having a generator that is ready to go, you’ll give yourself a way to keep and cook food, to have power and more. Just be sure to operate it in an open space so that you don’t have to worry about fumes causing an even bigger issue.
Have lifejackets on hand – If you do need to leave, you’ll want to have lifejackets available for every member of your family. This is especially important for children. If you would happen to be stuck in high water, they may save your life.
Teach your kids to swim (and know how to yourself) – In addition to having lifejackets, knowing how to swim is a must have emergency preparation for unexpected flooding. Swim lessons aren’t too expensive and for your kids especially, knowing how to swim well enough to save their lives is a must if you live in an area that could flood.
Flooding can happen in just a few minutes which makes it incredibly important to be prepared and to stay prepared. You never know what will happen and you may not be able to prepare for it all, but even having one or two of these preparation tips for unexpected flooding put into play will help you lessen the damage.
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