Whether you live in a flood zone or not, this is an article that everyone should read. Why? Well, even if you don’t live in a flood zone now, chances are you will eventually be affected by one of these natural disasters. Floods are natural disasters that happen quite often in certain parts of the world. It can cause a wide range of damages to buildings, property, and leave you with significant economic losses. Depending on the severity and damage, some insurance companies do not cover property against flooding. If a flood has occurred in your property, having an insurance adjuster from Chicago on your side will expedite the claims process and make the process smoother.
Floods can strike anytime and anywhere of the year – from sudden storms to major hurricanes. And when they do happen, it’s important to know what to do before they crash your home!
In this blog post, we’ll give some tips on how to protect your family and home so that you’re ready for anything and everything nature throws at us!
So whenever you’re ready to learn about protection about the flood forces, keep reading.
What Is a Flood Zone?
A flood zone is a geographic area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with a high probability of flooding.
The flood zone map is updated every five years. It shows areas near rivers, streams, lakes, or other bodies of water where buildings are at risk for floods in the future.
Many cities across America are located within flood zones since these maps were first created. Everyone needs to understand what living in one really entails to prepare yourself properly!
What Causes an Area to Become a Flood Zone?
The cause of flood zones is primarily the topography of a particular area.
Flood zones are often created in areas that have many slopes and hills. This is because water has more opportunities to travel away from these high-grounded regions. It moves into other lowland locations, which will then flood as well!
This is what makes some homes susceptible, even if they’re not located immediately near a river or stream. So it’s important to be prepared for anything when you live (or plan on living) within this designated zone!
How to Protect Your Family
Put together an emergency kit and store it in an easily accessible place. This should include food, water, flashlights with batteries, first aid kits. It should also have prescription medications (if applicable), cash (in case banks are closed).
Make sure hazardous chemicals and toxins such as cleaning supplies are stored securely. This is so that if they’re flooded or even touched by floodwaters, they don’t pose any risks to your family or home.
If you have a basement – make sure all electric wires inside the house run on top of joists instead of under them to avoid damage from potential flooding.
It’s also important not to place furniture against walls near basements. This is because this could cause high levels of humidity to accumulate potentially.
Know your local evacuation routes and make sure you’re familiar with which of them have the highest risk for flooding. To avoid confusion during a flood, it’s best to keep all cars parked on higher ground!
Keep sandbags or plastic sheets handy if they’re needed to protect windows or doors from water damage (or worse). For this purpose – many people will often use large trash bags filled with some material like dirt if there are no other options available.
It’s important, though, that these materials don’t contain any hazardous ingredients. This is because then cleanup would be much harder after the event has subsided.
Move furniture away from walls near basements. This is so they won’t get wet from flooding or dampness that can accumulate through the walls.
How to Protect the Community
If you are inclined to help reduce the effects of the flood zone in your community, you can do so by volunteering. You can also donate to organizations that specialize in these sorts of efforts.
Many people will start by calling or emailing the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). This is a program within FEMA created for just this purpose. It provides flood insurance to those living in at-risk areas.
Since many different government agencies are involved with aiding communities during floods, you must find out who your local emergency contact is. This is so they can provide you with information about what steps to take if disaster strikes!
It may also be a good idea to volunteer locally as well. They know how best to help their community members. This is because each town/city handles flooding differently.
If you’re not sure where you should direct your energy towards, call your local government or fire department!
What to Do During a Flood?
Regardless of whether you are prepared or not for a flood, there are several things you need to do when the flood does occur.
For instance, if you’re in a car – turn it off and stay inside with the doors locked until help arrives. This will prevent any water from seeping into your vehicle. At the same time, it could then make its way through electrical wiring to cause all sorts of devastating consequences).
If you are at home during a flood, shelter-in-place is always an option to prevent damage to the house. It also prevents harm coming to those who might be trapped by the floods in lower levels of buildings such as basements.
Whatever happens, though, don’t panic! Stay calm and contact emergency services when necessary. This is, so they know where you live for rescue efforts should they become needed!
The topography of areas that lie within these zones dictates how often flooding occurs. This is because some regions with high levels of rainfall may have flooded more often than others.
What Services Are Available to Residents of Flood Zones?
If you reside in a flood zone, your might be eligible for certain services. For instance, these communities may be eligible for FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), a FEMA program created to provide flood insurance.
If you need emergency services – whether rescue efforts or transportation assistance, dial 911, and they will do their best to help.
Various organizations specialize in these sorts of things, from providing volunteers during disasters to helping people find resources available like the NFIP!
It’s important, though, before reaching out with any questions about flooding because there can often be delays relating to communication between federal agencies, so contact your local government officials first for more information on what steps should follow next when disaster strikes!
Some areas might have special volunteer programs devoted specifically towards flood reliefs, such as AmeriCorps or Volunteer Oklahoma.
What to Do After a Flood Has Occurred?
After a flood has occurred, you must clean up your home as soon as possible.
If you’re unsure what information to provide when filing a claim with FEMA, there are resources available on their website for more details! For instance, they’ll ask about the time of day and how long it took for floodwaters to recede from the area in which you live.
They might also want an estimate of any damages that have been sustained or proof thereof via photos/videos if applicable (among other questions). At this point, you should search for “water damage restoration near me.”
When you talk to them – be clear and concise so that no errors will happen in communication between federal agencies.
Just because one agency says something doesn’t mean another does, but this is why it’s important to include all pertinent information during initial contact; otherwise, some information may get lost with the communication between agencies. FEMA will not assist if you have an adequate flood insurance plan in place!
If your home is no longer safe to inhabit, there are resources available for temporary housing as well. For instance, a hotel or other similar accommodations.
If this does happen, be sure to save all of your receipts related to these expenses. This is so that they can be reimbursed by FEMA at some point down the line after filing and qualifying for their National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
The best way to avoid any damages during floods is through prevention and preparation, which includes knowing when flooding might occur based on past events and understanding how long it takes water from a particular body of water/river/stream to recede.
Flood Zones Got Nothing On You
Flooding is a natural disaster that many people experience at some point.
It can be as dangerous to someone living in the area with high levels of rainfall or those who reside near water bodies such as rivers and lakes during these disasters – so take the necessary precautions! Living in a flood zone is risky, so get smart with your preparation.
If you’re interested in learning more about preparations for extraneous situations, check out some of our other articles on the sidebar which are relevant to this topic.