Prepping for Floods, What am i missing?!
Posted by AlternativeAthlete99@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 70 comments
We recently moved to an area that has the potential for floods. I’m not certain how big of a risk it truly is but is something I want to be prepared for since it is a risk if where we live, instead of just hoping for the best. We live in a three story town home, so while our main food prep supply is not on the third floor, we are making sure there is water and food for at least a week on the third floor. We also have an infant, where we have an infant life vest (just in case). I have waders for myself, but don’t know if i need them for my husband or if that’s something that is even important. What else am i missing? I’m new to living in an area with flood risk, and want to be prepared as possible! My goal is to be prepared for both if something happens to our house, as well as potentially having to camp out on the third floor for an extended period of time.
InternationalRule138@reddit
Check your FEMA flood maps and make sure you have flood insurance.
The best prep for flooding is honestly to not buy in a flood prone area, but realistically a lot of people take the risk. Floods normally come with warnings. If there is a warning you need to evacuate. Go bags should be your number one priority for prepping.
RiffRaff028@reddit
OP has already purchased the house, so while that's good advice, it's too late for them in this case. Do make sure you have flood insurance, but you also need to understand that insurance companies are starting to refuse home insurance to people who rebuild in disaster-prone areas. They'll pay out one time and then you're done if you rebuild in the same location. No insurance available.
Also, for preps that aren't being stored on the third floor, I would have them stored in such a way that they can be quickly and easily relocated upstairs. This might mean investing in multiple backpacks, or you might be able to think of something better, but don't just give up on those preps and let them go to waste.
The person who suggested an inflatable flood barrier is right on track. While the initial cost might be expensive (I don't know; I've never looked into it), that cost is nothing compared to losing your home, even if you have insurance.
kj468101@reddit
I’m happy to say that inland flood coverage is available with private insurance carriers for those completely outside of FEMA flood zones! You can even buy private flood insurance as a renter. It runs about $800 to $4000 a year for homes in Georgia for reference, ranging from $100,000 to $4M in coverage, and Georgia is one if the most expensive states in the southeast for insurance.
You can only get private coverage through an agent and there is typically a 10, 30, or 60 day waiting period before the coverage starts, but you can buy a policy at any time, not just when you first purchase the home. Neptune Insurance is a good place to start and they’ll connect you with an agent if you don’t want to find one yourself.
LateToTheParty41@reddit
Flood insurance is only available if they live in an area designated by FEMA and with outdated maps they miss a large portion of areas that nowadays are flooding.
Flood insurance is also expensive, I’ve heard 30-40,000 a year which is why many end up not getting it
Traditional insurance excludes floods and mud slides from coverage. We saw many that lost their homes and were told they had no insurance coverage for the damages.
InternationalRule138@reddit
The absorbent flood barriers are actually really affordable. I’m not at risk for big floods, but when rain comes falling out of the sky too fast for too long I have come close to having water intrusion, so I have a set. They are great to keep out a couple inches, I’m not sure I would rely on them to keep me out of the risk of going to a 3rd floor…
echosrevenge@reddit
Anywhere can flood, if enough rain falls fast enough. Just ask North Carolina and the Northeast Kingdom in Vermont.
LateToTheParty41@reddit
The problem is FEMA maps are outdated and flooding areas have greatly expanded since they were drawn. Many live in flood plains that are not included in those maps
InternationalRule138@reddit
This CAN be very true. A lot depends on where you are. I know in my area they were updated within the last 5 years, and there was a big education push by local governments when they did it. You make a really good point, though. As always, use everything as a guide because it’s never going to be 100% perfect.
bothtypesoffirefly@reddit
This is excellent advice unless you live in the mountains. Water can get out of the banks here and rise in ways that don’t show up on fema maps. You need to know your exit routes regardless, but flash flooding can happen to people far from the floodway. Any creek can flood if there’s enough rain.
AlternativeAthlete99@reddit (OP)
unfortunately i live in the mountains and the issue is if it’s a heavy snow year and there’s a lot of runoff, that’s when flooding becomes a serious risk. our plan is to obviously evacuate if we get enough warning, but if there’s no warning, thankfully we can get to the third floor or even the attic, but want to make sure we have enough stuff to survive if that ever happens
BrookeB79@reddit
As someone else said, you need to be able to float. I'd get life vests for everyone (is there something for a baby?).
But I'd be more inclined to make plans to gtfo if there's high snow, rain, and warm weather combo in the forecast. Also if there's been a ton of rain lately and the ground is saturated and there's more rain in the forecast. Plan to spend a few days with family or friends, just in case. Get used to the local weather conditions and how iffy it can get.
That said, I don't know how over prepped you're trying to be. If you're pretty far from a creek and uphill, hopefully you don't have much to worry about. But check with your neighbors about how far up the floods got that they remember. Use landmarks in your neighborhood - a prominent tree or outcropping, a still-standing building, etc. - not feet above whatever. And then plan accordingly.
Main-Building-1991@reddit
I didn't see that item, so - a few waterproof bags, like for motorcyclists or kayakers. You can evacuate with them or put some important things like laptops, documents, meds, dry clothes for you and kid, etc. while you stay inside the house, but still ready to go at any time. You can also use waterproof barrels, but I think bags are easier to carry. Even if water reaches 3rd floor and you evacuate and won't be able to take everything with you, there is still a chance your important things stay dry.
I would pack at least one bug-out waterproof bag/backpack and store it one highest floor, then keep the rest of bags in closet/wardrobe, so in case of emergency I have easy access to them.
PineapplePiazzas@reddit
Ah, to prepare for flood either move out of the area with a risk of flood or possibly make or upgrade your house to a stilt house.
MIRV888@reddit
A small fishing boat. (no joke). If worse comes to worse, you need to be able to float.
eternalmortal@reddit
A cheaper option would be a rubber inflatable with a hand pump could fit in a closet with the rest of OP's food and water preps. You could also get a power tool battery operated air pump to make it easier to inflate. A small 5-10 hp outboard motor could be stored in the same space too.
The gas tank with some sta-bil would have to be kept in a shed or somewhere nearby, and gas should be cycled through every 6 months or so and used for a car after that.
Cute_Still_6657@reddit
I would research your risk better. Not to give you a false sense of security, but to recognize when it might be time to skedaddle or be on alert. Prepping for floods along a river would look different than prepping for floods in flat land. I would not want to be on the 3rd floor next to a raging river, but if the Levee breaks that's a plan that could work.
What I would search for, in order of importance:
1. What did the last major flood event look like?
2. What is the state of your city's Storm water management system look like?
3. Find an elevation map for your county and get an idea where you sit on it.
4. Take a good look at the FEMA flood plane map. You probably did this given you are researching flood risk.
5. If you're coastal, take a look at the conditions of the sea walls in the area. If your feet can touch the water when you're sitting on them, there may be a more long term risk of coastal flooding. Also look to see if they are still holding back the sea water.
I also want you to go outside and stand on the sidewalk in front of your house and look towards your front door. If your front door step looks like it would higher than waist high, and the maps you look at don't seem to indicate you're significantly lower area, you're probably going to be fine for a majority of aerial flooding. If you're looking down at the front door step that is a cause for concern.
It should not be the first thing you buy, but when you are in the market for a new car, you should start considering ground clearance if you live in a flood prone areas. I've heard "Turn around don't drown" since I was a child, but when you're in the divers seat... "it doesn't look that deep at all, and I really need to get to work", and that's how you total your sedan.
Individual_Run8841@reddit
Good Points
Thanks for sharing
Old_Dragonfruit6952@reddit
Get some pedialyte in case of illness with diarrhea . Have a fully stocked home made First aid kit that includes liquid benedryl and neosporin . We always always have 6 power banks that are fully charged . 6 solar lanterns Uco always charged. 3 of them can be charged off the power banks . We have 1 solar charger fully charged that can do the phones and lanterns . Extra diapers and clothing for baby .. Always check the chargers for full charge and change out diapers as baby grows . Extra formula Butt Paste .
Individual_Run8841@reddit
Good Points
Thanks for Sharing
RoseCampion@reddit
You need a hand pump for getting water out of the first floor. Also a floor squeegee. You won’t have electricity to help you.
Several boxes of contractors 40-gallon heavy duty trash bags are useful. You can punch a hole in them and use them as a poncho. They can be duct taped to the windows if the glass is broken. They are great for cleaning up debris, etc.
Heavy duty duct tape.
Plan on using a gallon of water per person during the emergency. You will probably be under a boil-water advisory for long after the water recedes. Plan on using much more drinking water than you think necessary.
Have an extra supply of clean clothes on hand, especially extra underwear.
Have familiar food for the baby or toddler in your supplies. They will refuse unfamiliar food. Also, junk food is acceptable in an emergency.
The US government has online river gauges. If you’re close to one, you can set up for a text message when the river gets near the flood stage. The major problem with this is that the gauges update every half hour. If the river is rising rapidly, you might not get the notification in time.
Individual_Run8841@reddit
Good Points
Gentle-Wave2578@reddit
I live in a 3 story house in an area with flooding as well. Lots of thoughts - feel free to message me. We experienced our worst floods when our kids were little. We evacuated probably 3-4 times, and lived away for 10 days while the house was cleaned.
verify if your house is in a flood way (rushing waters that can tear down or destroy a house - and you should consider evacuating) or in a flood zone (waters that gently rise and recede - less likelihood of houses breaking apart). It will alter your plans. We are simply in a place that water rises. When we had kids under the age of 10 - we evacuated. It’s too scary and dangerous. My fear is what if the house catches on fire? Your propane tanks or other fuel can be affected.
figure out where you will evacuate if needed. We went to local organization that allowed people to evacuate. It was stressful but we had private space and could bring kids and dogs. Now I would probably rent a hotel room or stay with friends
understand that the flooded part may last just a day (so you could return soon) but also the ability to have plumbing (if you have a septic field) may take a week.
all the ground around your house and the muddy basement etc is toxic and contaminated. Have rubber boots and masks and gloves. Don’t let your dog or kid play in the yard for some time. Let it all dry out (no standing water) then make sure you have several sunny days to kill bacteria.
definitely have life vests for all. We never did but it would be nice to have a small raft etc.
definitely an ax in the attic
sturdy garbage bags to deal with human waste.
cash on hand - figure ten days of expenses at least
figure where you will move your car to high ground. We put it at restaurant parking lot that is much higher
have a dolly / hand truck to move appliances out of basement to high ground if possible
I wouldn’t use a camping water purifier with flood waters. You need to have enough bottled water for your family. Fill all tubs, vessels etc.
Be careful using flood water to flush or clean. Avoid. My friend did in Hurricane Helen and ended up on 3 antibiotics for a very difficult to treat UTI.
Unless you are comfortable with a camping stove and have good ventilation, I would just make sure you have. Food that you don’t need to cook.
heat - you could use a Mr Buddy propane stove but it must be ventilated and I never liked the risk and hassle. We have a wood stove. I would just make sure you have down blankets etc.
always important to have: duct tape, heavy plastic sheeting, rope, hammer and nails, stapler for sheeting, bleach (plain), spray bottle, paper towels, contractor bags for trash and water proofing
clean clothes / laundry can be an issue so perhaps some way to Handwash and line dry the essentials. I might have outdoor clothes that stay outside and indoor clothes. Floodwaters are so dirty - septic, chemicals, fuel
make sure your propane tank is anchored - usually the propane company that rents the tanks will do that - to a cement slab
entertainment is important if you are camping out upstairs for several days
Individual_Run8841@reddit
Very Good Points
Thanks for all that well thought information
n3wb33Farm3r@reddit
In today's world set your phone to give you alerts on flooding then get the h&ll out. Nothing you can do against raging water.
Dry_Barracuda2850@reddit
A boat would be a good idea (it could be a paddle boat or kayak or fishing boat - but something that could at minimum carry your kid(s) and supplies if not all of you - fishing waders for anyone not in the boat.
Either keep an ax in your attic or build in roof access (depends on your options: ownership, building, zoning, cost).
Realize that once the water reaches your outlets it won't be safe to touch (more for personal flooding than area flooding).
Realize that flood water is disgusting and dangerous (you could be injuries by trash in the water, or you could get skin infections from what you can't see in the water (or just being damp too long). Also do you live somewhere where things that live in water might be dangerous? Water snakes or Crocs etc.
Wool is good if it's also cold in your area but if it's not something that drys fast would be better. Something like Crisco or petroleum jelly can seal your skin from the water (some work better than others).
Usagi_Shinobi@reddit
Check the historical data for past floods. This will give you an idea of the type of flood you need to prepare for. Six feet of floodwaters takes a different plan than sixteen, and floods in flatlands take different plans than those for lowlands. I went through a number of floods in Louisiana, but was far enough from the drain path to not have to worry about landslides, as an example, but neighbors a few miles away ended up having their houses washed away. Knowing whether sandbagging will be of any use or not is some good information to have also.
After_Page740@reddit
Lots of it. Essential items and survival
thescatterling@reddit
Other than being able to LEAVE there’s absolutely nothing you can do. Water is a stone bitch. Being forewarned is your best option.
XRlagniappe@reddit
You might want to invest in an Aquadam.
https://www.wideopencountry.com/houston-man-uses-massive-inflatable-dam-save-house/
SeriousGoofball@reddit
Flood insurance. Seriously. Most people don't buy it and your regular homeowners policy doesn't cover flooding.
Check the grading around your home and figure out where water is going to come from. Are you on a hill? At the bottom of a hill? Are you in a known flood plain?
Assuming you get flooding and are stuck upstairs, what's your plan for power? Do you have a portable battery system? You probably aren't running a gas generator up there. A 1-2k-watt battery system with a portable solar panel can be a godsend.
SnowBunny61@reddit
If you have a mortgage and the house is in a flood zone, you are required to get flood insurance for the mortgage of the house.
SeriousGoofball@reddit
Maybe. But you don't have to be in a flood zone to get flood insurance. And a lot of places these days are getting flooded even though they never did before.
When Helene came through there was massive flooding in places that had been bone dry for over a hundred years.
I think every homeowner should have flood insurance.
Freebirde777@reddit
Has the house ever flooded before and what repairs were needed? Has it been built since the last flood and what features where made flood resistant.
My parents grew up in the Mississippi River flood plain. Every house and business was built on piles or floated. Heated and cook with wood, so wood was stacked on porch. Generator and fuel supply should be on piles, berm, or a floating platform. You will want a smaller jonboat or inflatable boat to be able to leave.
Second problem, current. If you are subject to flash flood, especially one with a lot so debris, you do not want to try to stay in your home. Rent a storage unit well out of possible flooding and store your supplies there. You will want to be able to leave with no notice.
SnowBunny61@reddit
My house that I bought had been there for 50 years. It flooded to the roof and sat there for 2 weeks. I lost everything
SunLillyFairy@reddit
I don't know where you live, but life jackets and waders a great prep, they are much more important than people think, especially for kids and non-swimmers. I used to work disasters and some of the worst stories were people drowning in 3 feet of water because the current knocked them off balance and they hit their head... or a little kid. And waders... they don't just keep you dry, they can protect you from things like snakes and sewage in water.
You basically want all your regular prep stuff. (Food, water, filters, a way to stay dry/warm, cook, first aid/medications, a toilet solution and anything special your kid may need like formula, bottles, diapers) for flood prep I'd also suggest sandbags, the materials you'd need to board up (if you live in hurricane paths), an inflatable raft and a way to inflate it w/out electric, an axe in your attic space, (people get trapped on upper floor levels), and a way to signal for help.
Soff10@reddit
Water, food, tools, inflatable boat, radio, lights. Google this and a huge list will pop up.
Open-Attention-8286@reddit
If you find yourself remodeling parts of the house for any reason, look into water-resistant, mold-retardant materials.
Fluffy_Job7367@reddit
I lived in a house that flooded on a river for 15 years. Our house was elevated so the first floor was 12 feet in the air. Our basement flooded as did the yard . We had to monitor the water to get our cars out. We used to canoe home all the time thru the ice. Fun times! Get a canoe and a trolling motor and a battery. Natl gaurd would shut the street down so looting wasnt an issue . We survived. We ended up buying a crappy cottage on cape cod as a backup plan because we had dogs and well they had nowhere to pee. Best dog purchase i ever made. Still miss the river though.
centermadi@reddit
I would add a crank radio/power bank. Roughly a $30 buy. A legit first-aid kit (not just band-aids), and formula/food for the little one. Dry clothes in a trash bag = instant morale boost. Sketch the evac route even if you swear you’ll ride it out on the third floor.
AlternativeAthlete99@reddit (OP)
We do have first aid kit on every floor (extensive home made one, not a cheap one that you get from grocery store) and we do have lots of formula/baby food stock piled because the last i want to worry about in an emergency is how to feed my baby. I do like the clothing idea! Thank you!!
Heavy-Attorney-9054@reddit
Put an axe in the attic. They were needed in Katrina.
AlternativeAthlete99@reddit (OP)
Thank you! I never would have thought of this!!
Breakfast_Forklift@reddit
Witt the special note of: if there isn’t access to the attic you need a way to get into the attic too (a ladder, cutting tool, etc…)
And an often forgotten note: it needs to be something you can actually swing/use in an attic. A lot of people will just buy “an axe” without considering the use case.
Make sure it’s a Fire Axe because the backside is a pick designed to punch through housing materials.
overkill@reddit
Oh yes. You really don't want to be trapped there.
Hopefully you'll never need it, but have one there.
HappyCamperDancer@reddit
Construction plastic (10'x100') is like $50-$60 and you can basically wrap around the base of your house plus add sandbags to hold it in place.
Won't help if the water is too high, but if the water is "only" 2 or 3 feet high, will save you a huge headache of trashing your house.
tinychef0509@reddit
I'm in Houston, and we flood at the drop of a hat. Dehumidifier. You'll need it if the first floor floods. Keeps you from having mold. Also, it's probably a good idea to have a generator or battery setup. Sometimes, i lose power for weeks at a time, and it helps having a charged phone to keep in contact or in case we need it for the week after. Life goes one whether your house is flooded or not. Insurance needs to be called, parents need check ins, etc. If first floor floods, you won't want the power going, so there's no electrocution risk. When you know a flood is potentially coming, wash all clothes and dishes ahead of time. There's nothing worse than having to deal with smell or not having clothes because your pipes won't drain properly. For water, get some tub liners. They're cheap and you'll be able to have clean water. Fill the bath the night before. Keep a kettle or large stock pot to boil water if the water supply gets compromised. Make sure you're stocked with an extra box of baby wipes just stuck away in a closet. You can use them from you and your husband for bathing or small clean ups. Fire proof bag on the top floor with all important documents in case you need to leave. I'll try to think of my other stuff.
Everyday_everyway@reddit
Lifelong resident of the same area and this is good advice.
I know it's terrifying to think about water over taking your home if you have never experienced it before (hell even if you have sometimes), but it doesn't have to be as traumatic as people believe. As long as the water isn't moving quickly and doesn't rise above the roof (not likely in a 3 story), you will be ok. Everything will be gross and it will feel over whelming but you and your family will be ok.
Keep your fridge and freezer CLOSED as much as possible. Ice chests with ice and water for drinking and another for food. Plan to grill if you are without power.
Things will be dirty and cleaning and removal of wet things will be the priority.
Just stay calm and try to remember that as long as y'all are physically ok... the rest can be replaced.
There's more but you are getting decent advice here.
Wendys_bag_holder@reddit
I didn’t see any mention of an emergency radio that is crank, Solar, and rechargeable. Learn your local NOAA station on wide ban. If everything goes down they use it for emergency notification and tell you if you will be extracted or if there is a rally point for extraction. Solar powered battery source that can be used as room light. There is typically looting if in a big city, you need to figure out protection. I would create bug out bags for your specific family in case you do need to leave and maybe not be back for a long period or at all. Now your neighbors, when it hits the fam it’s better to have a group. There are good books on this stuff. When crisis hits suburbia and grid down situation. If you never been through an emergency this will help you start to think.
AdventurousRun7636@reddit
Don’t live in a known area to have previously flooded. It will flood again.
SignificantNorth9972@reddit
There are some Hurricane Helene survivor videos on YouTube that speak about surviving the flood and what they learned. I would watch those and move forward.
chicchic325@reddit
Everyone needs a life vest not just the baby.
A way to get flood notifications at any time of the day/night.
NoraPann@reddit
I don't know anything about the floods where you live, but I live on a flood plain in a flood prone area. If you live in a property that could be defendable with sandbags, consider building a barrier of raised garden beds around your home so that when you have to sandbag, you have significantly less gaps to fill. Of course, if you are in an area where the floods are multiple stories high, this will be useless. It all depends on terrain and river behaviour.
Talk to older locals. They'll tell you a lot about how floods operate in the area.
LongjumpingHouse7273@reddit
I understand why you would put everything on the highest floor, but if water is flooding to the point where you NEED to be on the third floor, we are talking about a very specific type of prep. I'm not sure what the likelihood is since I don't know your specifics but if water has risen that much, you cannot stay on the third floor - your plan has to focus on evacuation. So for Katrina level events, assuming you don't have time to evacuate which is what you should do, you want roof access with an inflatable raft with oars; water proof back pack with water, food/baby supply, glow sticks, flare, weather proof outer levels, important documents in water proof jacket, power bank; life jackets.
If you think you need all this then, again, you are not focused on saving your house or living in your house with the preps upstairs. I would just prep normally around the house and let the upstairs be the defcon 1 storage area.
ffloss@reddit
Change out the flooring on your 1st floor to tile. Will help you in restoration phase if ever needed. You need life vests for the entire family not just the baby. Make sure as baby grows that you also size up their vest. An inflatable boat stored upstairs may be helpful to have. Also store bright florescent reflective belts/hair bands/vests/ light sticks upstairs. If you need to evacuate via a window or roof the reflectors will help the rescuers find you.
Weary_Supermarket_82@reddit
If you go to the local emergency manager they will probably know how to find the highest flood in 100 years. I think it’s called the 100 year flood map or something like that. See what the water level was where you live and contemplate that. Also if you are a long distance into that flood water I would prioritize bugging out, opposed to staying in place it’s possible it could be months before you have good accessibility to your house. Also are dams or levees failing a concern. If it is ask your local emergency manager what type of alerts they will send out, and start planning your actions for those alerts. I live in wild fire country and I have a few different plans based on our alert system.
Alaskanarrowusa@reddit
I think you’re covering food and water well but do you want to consider a raft as well to replace the waders?
Other than that you could also ramp up on comms/power, water filtration and having an evac plan just in case
Im gonna take some time to write this so consider also these since you have a baby with you:
some sturdy waterproof boots, gloves, a throw rope, a small inflatable raft or a couple of cheap inflatable river tubes especially (might be overkill but you know what’s best and what’s doable). And yes, your husband should have waders as well if y’all are not going to get a raft/river tubes
a couple of good power banks/small solar charger, a battery-powered or crank NOAA weather radio
for water get a couple of Sawyer Minis or LifeStraws which are cheap and don’t take space so you have backup in case bottled supplies run low.
Lastly, even though you plan to hole up on the third floor, you should have go-bags ready for you your husband and a baby bag for quick grab-and-go. Have important documents, cash in small bills, spare clothes, formula, diapers and a few comfort items for the baby as well. Other items you can consider as well here 50 Doomsday Apocalypse Survival Items to cover all grounds
Good luck and stay safe yall!
HudyD@reddit
Don't forget about sanitation. Floods mean no running water, and bathrooms get gross fast. Stock up on trash bags, wet wipes, and maybe a camping toilet if you have space. It's one of those things people forget until it's too late
nakedonmygoat@reddit
I assume you have a weather radio, pay attention to forecasts, and know if your property lies in a flood plain and if it has flooded before, right? Past flooding patterns aren't a guarantee, but they're a pretty strong clue. Flood insurance is expensive, but not as expensive as paying off what's left on your mortgage and then building another house.
What plan do you have for your vehicle(s)? If there's a parking garage within easy walking distance, make that your plan. The "lost ticket" rate will be a lot cheaper than the price of a new car. If there's no parking garage within a reasonable distance, you'll need to talk to your neighbors about previous floods and then get creative in your planning. A creative mindset is often the best prep you can have.
Are you prepping for flash floods or predictable floods? I live in a flood-prone city myself, but there has never been a flooding situation where I didn't know a day or two in advance what was coming. Flash floods don't give you that luxury.
Where are you in regard to bodies of water? Is there a river or bayou nearby that can top its banks? Are you in danger of a storm surge from a hurricane? Are there levees that can break, like during Katrina? Is there a reservoir that can overflow, or a dam that can fail? I don't ask these questions because I know the answers to every scenario but so you can research the ones that apply to you.
How fast and how high the water might rise matters a lot. A fast wall of water from a burst dam or storm surge will wash away your home, making a third floor shelter useless. But a slower scenario is very survivable. I had a coworker whose house flooded in Harvey. He, his wife, toddler, and newborn were fine on the top floor. That was a flood that happened over hours as the water slowly rose. A "fast" flood like what happened on the Guadalupe River on July 4 is a different animal altogether. Fast floods knock down everything in their path.
007living@reddit
A breaching ax and a couple of pry bars to get out on the roof if needed. A regular ax requires much more work than most people are aware of.
mediocre_remnants@reddit
If your first floor was under water, you aren't going to be camping out on the 3rd floor for an extended period of time. You wouldn't want to, it's not safe to.
The reasonable thing to do is book a hotel or short-term rental. This is usually covered by homeowners insurance. After Helene, FEMA was paying for folks to stay in hotels too but the only hotels they were offering stays at were about a 1.5-2 hour drive away, which simply wasn't an option for people who still had jobs in town. Folks with decent insurance policies were able to find closer places to stay while their homes were repaired.
SheistyPenguin@reddit
Look up flood maps in your area, to understand the risk and what areas will be washed out in a flood:
https://msc.fema.gov/portal/home
Also look up the evacuation routes for your area:
https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=73ec5df5396f4c11a29229538b2f6d6a
bothtypesoffirefly@reddit
Cleaning supplies are the first thing people look for after a flood.
mediocre_remnants@reddit
Shovels, wheelbarrow, contractor-grade trash bags, multiple pairs of heavy duty rubber boots, heavy duty waterproof and puncture-proof work gloves, safety goggles, respirator.
You don't really want to touch/breathe stuff that was under flood waters and it all needs to be thrown out.
Source: Helene cleanup. Not my house, but volunteering around town.
Hot-Profession4091@reddit
An ax in the attic is the only flood specific thing I can think of. Perhaps an inflatable raft.
Llama_Llama_Drama@reddit
Do you have an easy way to signal for help if you’re stuck in the house? Something that would let responders know you’re in there if it’s prolonged flooding. Also, extra water and a sanitary solution for all waste (food, bathroom, etc.). Something to manage heat as well if you’ll be at attic level.
SetNo8186@reddit
If the waders are close fitting neoprene its basically a wet suit with boots. The older loose fitting ones are known to be difficult if they get swamped and fill up, it's hard to remove them while up to your neck in fast moving water.
I'd investigate prior incidents with neighbors who were there at the time to see how serious it gets. First hand observations are valuable.
Adorable_Dust3799@reddit
I assume floods are due to rain? A friend in a hurricane area stores a lot of things, just stuff like paperwork and bedding and what not in tubs in his 2nd floor apt because sometimes the roof leaks. That may not be relevant for you
jking7734@reddit
Floaties
sweflo@reddit
I've used Quick Dams during hurricanes. I felt they were marginally effective and definitely lost a lot of efficiency after drying out. Tarping with sandbags was more useful. Still was only inches away from interior water intrusion. Going to add some French drains in our backyard since that's our weak point. We added them on the side last year after Helen, and they really helped during Milton.
alessaria@reddit
My parents live in an area that has local flooding from hurricanes once in a while. I purchased some Quick Dams for them that have been very effective. They look like long rubber tubes. You roll them out right in front of all your exterior doors. When water hits them, the absorbant material inside swells up, sealing thebottome of the door like a sand bag. When the flood is over, leave them out to dry, then put them away for next time.
Also - if you are in the US - get flood insurance. Normal homeowners insurance will not cover water damage.
Good luck, and congrats on your new home!