Spring is finally here. Flowers are starting to bloom, but it also means it’s the start of the rainy season. While the spring can bring welcome relief after the long winter months, flooding is a real concern for homeowners. You don’t need to live in a flood zone to fall victim to flooding. It’s best for everyone to be prepared in case the worst happens.

While those in flood zones are more likely to experience some level of flooding, the reality is that it could occur anywhere. Changes in the area could create flood zones in areas that were deemed safe in the past and major weather storms could cause severe flooding that extends into zones that aren’t used to experiencing the flooding.

All homeowners should take the time to make sure they’re prepared just in case anything happens. It’s important for them to make sure they understand what can be done to prevent serious flood damage inside homes and to protect their belongings from these issues. Along with this, they’ll want to make sure they can prevent as much damage as possible to protect their family from safety issues that could occur if the home is flooded.

Know Your Risk Before Spring Begins

Even though a homeowner might have checked to see if they were in a flood zone when they initially bought the home and purchased homeowner’s insurance, it’s a good idea to recheck this occasionally. Flood zones can and do change. With growing cities, the arrangement of new homes and businesses could lead to a change in the areas that might be considered flood zones and could lead to more flood zones being created. Homeowners should make sure they know whether their home is now in a flood zone to ensure they can take the proper precautions if anything has changed since they bought the home.

Homeowners will also want to make sure they check the expected flood levels. This will give them a better indication of how high the flood waters could get in their home, so they can make sure anything important is above this level. Many homeowners will want to have their furnace, water heater, and other equipment inside the home placed above this level to minimize damages if flooding does occur.

Prepare with Building Supplies and Sandbags

Sandbags can often be obtained nearby when there is the potential for a flood, but the lines to obtain sandbags can be long and the amount a family can take for their home may be limited. Homeowners can keep their own sandbags on hand to use if there is a threat of flooding in their area. The sandbags should be placed where needed to help keep flood waters from getting into the home when there is a chance of flooding.

Along with purchasing and preparing sandbags, homeowners can purchase building supplies to keep on hand. It’s a good idea to secure these up and out of the way in case flooding does occur. Having a few stud boards, plywood boards, tarps, nails and more on hand can help with emergency repairs if there is the potential for flooding or help create a way to protect some of the items in the home from damage. Additionally, there could be a shortage of building supplies in the immediate aftermath of the flood, so having these supplies on hand could lead to faster repairs if anything is damaged.

Keep Important Documents and Irreplaceable Items Above Flood Levels

Homeowners who know their flood levels will want to prepare by placing any irreplaceable documents or items in boxes that can protect them. These boxes should be placed above the potential flood levels but should be easy to grab in case of an evacuation. This will help homeowners ensure identifications, passports, deeds, insurance documents, and more are both safe from the flood and easily accessible if a flood does impact the home or an evacuation is necessary.

Prepare an Emergency Plan in Case Flooding Occurs

Families should always have a plan in place to deal with potential natural disasters, and flooding is no exception. Even if the home is in an area that is not likely to flood, parents will want to speak with their children about what could happen in a flood, what they should do, and how they can stay safe. This should include how to prevent injuries or illnesses from contaminated flood water as well as what to do if an evacuation is needed and what should be grabbed from the home if they need to evacuate.

Act Fast to Minimize Damage After a Flood

If a home is impacted by a flood, the first step will be to assess the damage and remove all water from the home. This can be done by a water removal company to ensure it’s done properly. At this point, the homeowner will want to start removing anything damaged from the home and repairing anything that needs to be repaired. Flood waters, even after the majority is removed from the home, could cause mold growth because of the water that was inside the home and that soaked into the building materials.

The faster the home is repaired, the lower the chance for mold to grow. Additionally, the damage from the water won’t have the chance to spread to more areas of the home if it’s removed as quickly as possible. The emergency building supplies purchased before the chance of flooding could help the homeowner repair their home faster and enable them to minimize the potential damage that could occur while they wait for help with larger repairs.

Spring can be the start of beautiful weather and a welcome change from the dreary winter, but it can also bring significant flooding to many areas. Homeowners can use these tips to ensure they’re prepared for flooding and know how to protect their home, belongings, and family from any potential floods. Start preparing your home today to ensure you and your family are as safe as possible in case anything happens.