Hurricane season may start in June, but that means now is the best time to begin thinking of protecting your home from hurricanes, tropical storms, and the heavy rainfall that Florida takes on over the hot summer months. Today we look into protecting your property from flood water damage.
Risk and Coverage
Finding out your property’s risk of flood damage in severe weather is as easy as entering your physical address. To start, residents of Sarasota county can visit http://ags3.scgov.net/sarcoflood/ to determine their floodzone. Likewise, residents of Manatee county can visit the Manatee County website.
Depending on your level of risk, from here you might decide to pick up some flood insurance. Contact your agent for rates and coverage options, or you can visit floodsmart.gov for additional help.
It will also benefit you to take stock of all of the items that could be impacted in the event of a flood. Inventory and photograph these items so that making a claim later is easy.
Preparing your Property
Homeowners can take steps to protect their property from hazards. In advance of a storm, raise electrical system components to prevent risk of electric shock in standing water. You can call Sarasota County at 941-861-5000 to get an evaluation of how well your property drains, as well as provide retrofitting solutions.
Many communities have natural floodplains and swales planned to collect excessive water. Be sure to keep these areas clear of debris to ensure that water can easily flow to these areas.
In Event of Emergency
During a severe weather event, one of the most important things you can do is be informed. You and your family can stay safe by preparing a battery operated radio at the ready and already set to 1450AM or 970AM. These stations are available to provide the public with up-to-date flood and emergency information.
Should you need to evacuate, always avoid large standing water on roadways. Remember, Turn Around. Don’t Drown.
Homeowners can check the Sarasota County Disaster Planning Guide on their website for additional safety tips.
