How to Prepare for Floods

You can’t predict if or when one will occur, but you can prepare for a flood. If you live in a flood zone or near a water source, you’re especially vulnerable to them. Even densely populated areas are at risk for flash floods. Floods can damage your home, but more importantly, they can kill you if you’re not protected. Here’s how to prepare for floods:

Get the Proper Insurance

More often than not, homeowners suffer some damage to their property during floods. Imagine not being able to rebuild or repair your home. Check with your homeowner’s insurance to see whether it covers floods. If not, get the additional coverage you need if you live in an area that’s at risk for flooding.

Store Food

Floods can disrupt transportation, and that includes trucks carrying food to your grocery store. How will you eat when the store is closed for a long period of time? Storing food in advance is crucial for flood preparation, because you may not be able to buy supplies. Prepare now by storing enough food for at least 30 days. Buy freeze-dried or dehydrated foods stored in #10 cans. These have a shelf life of at least 5 years, and only require water to prepare. You can also buy ready-to-eat meals which include an entrée, snack, dessert, and beverages, and come with a heater to warm the meal.

Store Alternate Sources of Light

Floods often disrupt electrical services, and therefore you’ll need to find ways to see your surroundings in the dark. Make sure you have some or all of the following:

When the power goes out, you’ll be able to see and stay safe.

Store Water

You need drinkable water when there’s a flood. The water around you may be contaminated, and you should only think about drinking it (after purifying it) as a last result. You need to store at least 1 gallon of water per day, per person ahead of time, for drinking, cooking and hygiene. You can buy emergency water pouches or drinking tablets to purify the older water you’ve stored, and a water purifier for any rainwater you catch.

Buy Wipes

You need a way to keep yourself clean, and to sanitize surface areas that might otherwise get moldy. Buy and store total body wipes in emergency kits or with your other emergency supplies. You need to buy extra baby wipes for children in diapers and young children in general. You should also buy bleach or other anti-bacterial wipes to keep areas clean. Molds can build up easily during floods, and can make life miserable for you if you have allergies or asthma.

Take the necessary precautions outlined above to prepare for floods. Being prepared will help you to protect your family, and even neighbors who will need help.