With the recent major flooding in Alberta and serious flooding in Toronto, I thought I would write a bit about flood preparedness. Here are some things to keep in mind:
1. Check your sump pump. The sump pump keeps water out of your basement. Most run on electricity and, if the power fails, you could end up with water in your basement. You can get sump pumps that run on battery power if the electricity fails so that you have a backup.
2. Watch what is in your basement. Don’t keep anything that is valuable and could easily be destroyed by water in the lower parts of your house. Family photos, important documents, etc. should be kept well above ground.
3. Check your house. After a heavy rain, do a quick inspection around the outside of your house to see if there are any issues that you might want to address before the next storm.
4. Review your insurance. The worst time to find out that you are underinsured is after you have damage to your house. Call your insurance broker and make sure that you are covered if there were a flood.
With a little bit of preparation, you can keep yourself more protected in the event of a major flood in your house.
