A few centimetres of water can cause a lot of damage and put a dent in your bank account, so imagine what overland flooding can do. If you want your basement to stay safe and dry during a rough storm, you should read these preventative measures.

Prepare For Emergencies:

One of the first steps for preparing your home for flooding is making a designated emergency kit in case disaster strikes — it can also be used for concerning events like dangerous winter storms, long power outages or tornado warnings.

Essentials for your kit should be a supply of clean water, non-perishable food, a flashlight, fresh batteries, a radio, money and a first aid kit. You will want to put in an extra change of clothes and sensible footwear in case yours get drenched. Tall waterproof boots, rubber gloves, safety goggles and protective masks will also be good items to have on hand, in case you need to wade through the water. It should be noted that it’s better to avoid the water completely until professionals arrive to assess the situation.

 Most people have an idea of what they would do if their house caught fire — they have a fire extinguisher stored in the closet, they have escape routes planned and places that they know they could turn to in a crisis. Give overland flooding the same intensity and attention, because the situation can be just as destructive and dangerous. Place your emergency kit in a safe spot where rising water will not be able to reach it, like a high shelf on the ground level or second floor of the house.

Let everyone in the house know exactly where the kit is and what it is for, including young children. Prepare for the worst by researching relief organizations like The Canadian Red Cross and by reading helpful tips on what to do during a flood to see how you and your family can stay safe, like:

• Do not ignore warnings on the news and head towards flooded areas
• Have your radio, smartphone or television on for real-time updates from weather networks
• Be ready to evacuate the vicinity at a moment’s notice
• Keep small children and pets away from the water, even if it is stagnant

Boost Your Home’s Flood Prevention Features:

Act right away and make home improvements that will limit any risk of water infiltrating the lowest level. Start by clearing dead leaves and grime from your house’s eavestroughs and gutters, otherwise, they will overflow during a rainfall. Extend the downspout and direct it away from the property so that water doesn’t move towards the foundation.

After cleaning and adjusting your roof drainage system, you should call a local plumbing company in Toronto to install or improve any features that can stop water from intruding and collecting in your basement. One effective change that plumbers can do is install a sump pump in the lowest part of your basement — it actively removes any accumulating water and sends it away from the house. If you already have a sump pit and pump, you can have the professionals check whether they are working correctly or whether they need an upgrade.

Another one of the most effective ways to protect your home from flooding is to get an expert plumber to install a backwater valve — this is a handy tool for cases of urban flooding when the city’s sewer system is overwhelmed by a heavy storm. The city’s sewage can creep upward into the pipes of residential houses, causing a flood that the owners can’t control. A backwater valve will make a one-way stream so that the city’s sewage can’t travel up through the house’s pipes and cause any surprises.

These plumbing changes will stop sewage from backing up and water from collecting, but they will not prevent all forms of intrusion. Homeowners can protect their property from water trying to force its way inside by hiring a basement waterproofing contractor to add a waterproofing agent and a separate membrane to the exterior walls of the house. This is the only method that can sufficiently stop the significant structural damages caused by water intrusion. If you know what flood prevention features you want to have installed and applied to the house, you should call us for a free estimate or you can ask to talk to an expert to see what services will be the right fit for your budget and your needs.

Get The Right Insurance:

A lot of homeowners will assume that overland flooding is covered in their insurance plan but unless they have requested coverage for that specific issue, it’s unlikely that they will get any payment. The Insurance Bureau of Canada recently reported that most Canadians don’t know the risk of flooding and that they aren’t prepared if the incident happens — more than half of people polled admitted that they had no plans to protect their home from the potential disaster.

Water can cause extensive damage to the house’s foundation, its features and its furniture, costing you lots of money in repairs and replacements.

If that is not enough incentive, you should know that experts recommend that you get flood insurance because of climate change — the chances of falling victim to overland flooding gets higher with every year because of global warming and dense urban planning. Check with your insurance company to talk about your plan and to get coverage for overland flooding. Take some time to walk through your basement and make an inventory list of its contents, along with their estimated values. Take photographs of the rooms and keep copies of them in case you ever need to provide proof of what your house looked like before the disaster.

The only other step you can take is to check the news and weather forecasts on a regular basis. Pay attention when they warn homeowners of impending storms and emergencies, especially if they are taking place in your area. Even if the predictions of a torrential storm are overblown and the city experiences a mild shower, it’s better to be aware and ready than caught off guard.