FLOODING LEAVES BEHIND CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE

 Flooding in your home can be a scary situation to be in. You can feel helpless in those moments not knowing what to do or where to start. It is a very serious problem especially living in Florida where you are surrounded by water. Any poorly built building could be flooded by just a simple tropical storm. Tropical storms and hurricanes are a huge issue in the state of Florida. With little to no warning it is hard to prepare properly for a traumatic event to occur. It is so important to have a good insurance company that is prepared to deal with hurricanes. By ensuring that you are with the right company for you and your homes need that can reduce that unwanted stress. Flooding can occur for many different reasons in your community. It could be caused by storm surge, river flooding, or even heavy rainfall. A huge reason for flooding is also poorly drained areas. This causes water to get backed up and can cause unwanted flooding.

HOW DESTRUCTIVE FLOODING CAN BE

Floods can cause way more damage than you would even think. After all the water is gone you are still left with countless tasks to complete to get your home back up and running. Damages that could occur are as follow:

•    Structural damage

•    Loose bulking floor

•    Roof or foundation cracks

•   Broken electrical wires

•    Decreased value in your home

•    Trapped moisture in your walls can grow mold, mildew, and bacteria

•    Water gets trapped under carpet and grows mold

These are all very annoying things that can occur after a flooding. With living in Florida, it is important to have good property insurance and to be as prepared as possible for a flood to occur.

WAYS TO PREVENT FLOODING IN YOUR HOME

There are certain things you can do to reduce the damage done to your house in case of a flood. One of the most important things is to close any foundation cracks. It is recommended to use a hydraulic cement which can expand and fill gaps completely. Another way to help the water exit if it does get inside your home is by installing flood vents. Regardless sometimes flooding is out of your control and that is why it is so scary to experience You can obtain a flood map for your area and that will allow you to see how likely your home could flood in case of an event occurring. You can find this map at www.floodsmart.gov .

WAYS TO KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE DURING A FLOOD

Before a flood reaches you, you should do the following according to floridadisaster.org

•   Know if floodwaters might affect your home and property

•    Know your elevation above flood stage

•    Develop a flood emergency action plan

•    Evacuate IMMEDIATELY if advised to do so

•    Move to a safe area before access is cut off

•    Keep up on road conditions in the area

If you don’t do any of those things above and now you are stuck in a flood this is what actions should be taken:

•    Avoid areas subject to flooding

•    Do no attempt to cross flowing water

•    Never drive through flooded roadways. Nearly half of all people killed in floods are those who attempted to drive through flooded areas

•    Do not drive around barricades

•     If your vehicle stalls leave it immediately

•     Never try to walk through or allow children to play in flooded water

DEVASTATING AFTERMATH OF FLOODING

Thousands of residents in Florida are currently dealing with flood damages to their homes and cars. This is leaving people stranded and without power all throughout the state (which is clearly a huge problem). The town of Fort. Myers is highly affected by hurricane Ian. According to npr.org a resident of Fort. Myers who recently moved to Florida for the nice weather and slower pace of life was hit with the traumatizing event of hurricane Ian. Hurricane Ian ripped through Francie Pucin mobile home park in Palmetto Palms RV Resort. This sent water through her walls flooding from all directions. Francie and her community decided to evacuate at the last minute that Wednesday before the storm. She talks about how her community is close-knit and they all kept in contact during the hurricane. Everyone made it through the storm there were no fatalities thankfully.