Preparing for the rainy season is always essential. If you live in an area with heavy rain or frequent flooding, preparation is even more crucial.
Prepare your home for rainy weather now, so you don’t have to deal with damage later. If you do end up dealing with unexpected rain damage, take the proper steps to repair your home quickly.
Keep reading, and we’ll tell you everything you need to know about preparing for rain and recovering when water damages your home.
Preparing For the Rainy Season
When you know a rainy day is approaching, there are several steps you can take to prepare your home. The first thing you should do is inspect your roof. A leaky roof will leave the inside of your home vulnerable to water damage.
You should also clean your gutters. They are very vulnerable to storm damage because they are the lowest point of your house and easily collect water.
Your gutters will work properly to redirect water as long as they are clean.
If your government issues a storm advisory, you should also protect yourself against the wind. Seal your windows and trim your trees. Flying tree limbs can do serious damage to your house.
If your rainy season is in the colder months, make sure your furnace is working properly. You don’t want your heating system to stop working in the midst of a cold and windy storm.
If you live in a rural area, you should also prepare for possible power outages. Even a mild thunderstorm can cause you to lose power for an evening.
To prepare for a power outage, make sure you have a gas generator, portable phone chargers, battery-powered flashlights, and nonperishable food items.
Recovering From Storm Damage
What do you do when preparedness is not enough? Sometimes you do everything right and end up with water damage anyway.
When you see water damage in your home, you should act as quickly as possible. The longer water damage remains, the more it will erode the affected parts of your home.
According to the folks at 1-800 Water Damage, even mild floodwater can contain harmful contaminants.
If your basement floods during a rainstorm, hire a professional to remove the water immediately.
Water damage can also weaken the foundation of your home. It is critical to address this problem as soon as possible.
The most common type of water damage is mold and mildew growth. While these may not seem like a huge deal at first, they also must be dealt with as quickly as possible.
Mold and mildew are quick to spread and can take over large portions of your home before you know it. They also weaken your walls and ceilings and can cause cracks.
Plus, they look and smell gross. If you notice mold or mildew in your home, get a professional to take care of it quickly!
Flood Preparedness
Preparing for a flood is more rigorous than preparing for a typical rainstorm. The steps you must take depend on where you live, and the severity of an expected flood.
If you live in a frequent flood zone, you should stay prepared all year round by buying home insurance that covers flood damage.
Beyond that, you should make sure your most important items are always stored safely. Keep crucial documents high up and in waterproof containers.
If possible, make sure that your front yard tilts downward away from your house. That way, as much water as possible will run away from you.
Keep your washer, dryer, hot water tank, and furnace raised so that they are not directly on the floor. Hopefully, if your home is in a flood zone it will already be designed this way.
Seal your basement walls to make them waterproof. The basement is the part of your house that is most likely to flood.
If you are extremely concerned about flood damage, you should consider keeping some of your valuables in a storage unit in a less risky area. You should also save up extra money in case you need emergency lodging.
What to Do In a Flood
If a natural disaster strikes your home, you are not alone. Floods are the most fatal thunderstorm hazard. Protecting your home is important, but protecting yourself should be your first priority.
When in doubt, live by this motto: turn around, don’t drown. Do not, under any circumstances, drive your vehicle into floodwater.
It only takes about one foot of floodwater to carry away most cars, and six inches to carry away an adult on foot. If a road is blocked off due to flooding, there is a good chance that it has collapsed under the water.
Floodwater is much more powerful than most people think it is. Avoid contact with floodwater unless it is absolutely necessary.
Finding high ground nearby is safer than trying to move through floodwater to reach safety.
If you are safe in your home but there is flooding around you, stay inside. Make sure that important items and electronics are stored as highly as possible.
Keep an eye on the local news. Do not venture outside of your home until the weather reports say that it is safe. Government-aided relief efforts will be coordinated and the flood will be dealt with as soon as possible.
Who Needs Water Damage Protection?
Everyone should play it safe when it comes to water damage. If you are a homeowner, this is an especially important part of preserving your investment in your properties.
However, there are some areas where water damage is more likely than it is in others.
Coastal states are generally more susceptible to flooding. For instance, every county in California has had more than one flood emergency.
Those who live close to the Gulf of Mexico should be especially cautious about flood protection. These states are often hit by hurricanes and tropical storms.
Hurricane Katrina, one of the most famous natural disasters of this century, wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast. Every homeowner in that area of the United States should have flood insurance if possible.
If you live in an area that gets a lot of rain, you should also be especially careful. Some parts of the Pacific Northwest, like Seattle, are prone to excessive rainfall.
Even if that rainfall does not cause flooding, it can still damage your property. If you live in a heavy rainfall area, you should be vigilant about checking your house for signs of water damage.
Keep an especially close eye on your roof and ceilings. Excessive rain can easily damage your roof and cause mildew to sneak into your house.
Other Causes of Water Damage
Flooding and rainwater are not the only things that can cause water damage. Snow can cause a lot of damage to your home as well.
If you live in an area that gets heavy snowfall, you need to prepare just as much as someone who lives in a rainy or tropical climate.
Snow accumulates on top of your house in the winter, and when it eventually melts there can be trouble. It’s important to clean snow off your roof consistently throughout the winter.
If you don’t want to do that yourself, or your roof is not easily accessible, we strongly recommend hiring a professional to do it for you.
Cold weather can also cause water damage in other ways. A burst pipe can quickly wreak havoc on your home.
To keep your pipes from bursting, take proper care of them in the winter months. As soon as temperatures start dipping below freezing, keep a little warm water running through them at night.
If you’re going on a winter vacation or spending any period of time away from your house, ask a neighbor to check in and run water through your pipes.
One other type of water damage is a sewage leak. Sewage leaks most often come from worn or broken pipes, and will most likely show up first in your basement.
Sewage leaks are not only odorous but dangerous and unsanitary too. Hire a professional to deal with sewage problems immediately.
Make Sure You’re Covered
The rainy season is just one common cause of water damage. If your home is affected by water damage of any kind, don’t wait it out! Hire a professional to take care of it.
To protect your home and safety, make sure you are always prepared for storms and flooding.
For more home tips, check out the rest of our blog!
