Flash floods can strike at any time. The day could be nice and sunny, but with one good thunderstorm, the next thing you know creek beds are overflowing and there is high water all around. While these things happen sometimes without any warning, there are still a few things you can do to prepare yourself, your family and your home. And if the worst happens and you need help after a flood or for any other plumbing emergency, call us and we can send a plumber to your Edina home.
In the meantime, here are a few suggestions on how to prep for a flood:
- Pack an emergency kit. The kit should have bottled water, nonperishable food, band-aids and other medical supplies, a portable radio, batteries and other essentials for you and your family.
- Make sure your family has a detailed plan about what to do if your home floods. Everyone should know where to go to evacuate, and you should all know how to contact one another if cell phone service is disrupted.
- If you haven’t already, consider having important equipment, like your air conditioner unit, hot water heater and other appliances mounted off of the floor. This might give all of it a better chance of getting through a flood with minimal or no damage.
- Make sure your home has flood insurance, especially if you live in an area that is prone to flooding. Bear in mind that most homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover floods. You usually have to get a rider on the insurance policy that will cover a flood if and when it happens.
- Make sure your home has a working sump pump. If it does not, call us and we can send a plumber out to install one.
- If the weather outside is looking rainy and stormy, keep an eye on any news and weather alerts. Follow any evacuation instructions if they are given, and remember that emergency vehicles always get the right of way.
- Make sure you know how to shut off your home’s electrical system and any gas source in the event of an emergency.
- After the flood, if your home has sustained any damage, do a walk-through and take pictures of and notes on any damage. Then call your insurance company.
- Call a plumber at All Ways Drains and we can come out and unclog any drains that need it and for assistance with anything else plumbing-related.
