Depending on what region you live in, the risk of floods may be a real problem for you, especially in the colder months. Heavy rain can feel like its come out of nowhere, so it's best to be prepared.
While you can track rain patterns on weather apps and from regional news, it's a much better idea to get ahead of the weather entirely.
Instead, you should be doing any prep work before you're faced with flood warnings and predictions of heavy rain.
Fortunately, I've put together a 5-minute fall flood checklist that will help you prepare your home for a flood, hopefully preventing damage that'll take a lot longer to resolve.
After all, it's better to be ready even if the rain doesn't arrive than be caught out with a flood striking and creating hazards across your home.
1. Clear gutters and downspouts
Fall is the perfect season for your gutters and downspouts to get clogged up. Why? Well, with falling leaves and extra rain, it can concoct the ultimate mulch that will easily block the area. It's also a great breeding ground for moss to gather, too.
Grab a sturdy ladder with someone spotting you or a stabilizer at the bottom, then using a bucket and gloves, remove all the packed debris, leaves and moss that's blocking up your gutters. You should do this once or twice during the fall, especially around November and December as that's when most trees lose their leaves.
2. Trim down nearby trees and shrubs
Around your home, you may have nearby trees and shrubs that are your responsibility to trim down to prevent excessive foliage falling to the ground – and, as already discussed, into your gutters. This can also cause a problem for any exterior drains you have.
So, you should prune back trees and shrubs to minimize the amounts of leaves and loose branches that pose a risk to your home. If you let everything fall to the ground or into your gutters, you're increasing the chances that rain won't drain properly away from your property.
3. Survey for cracks and gaps
It won't take you long at all to do a perimeter walk of your home to check for any cracks or gaps in the exterior walls, so make sure you do. If you spot any, grab some waterproof sealants or fillers to close up any gaps and cracks to prevent any water getting through.
You may need to widen any small gaps to ensure the sealants or fillers hold or call in a professional if you find anything especially bad. Hairline cracks that are less than 1/16 of an inch though are generally considered cosmetic, so you can leave these alone. But, it's important to note down where they are and keep an eye on them incase they get any worse.
4. Test your sump pump
Not all homes have sump pumps, but if you have one in your basement, you should incorporate testing it into your 5-minute fall flood home check. Simply pour water (around one or two 5-gallon buckets worth, or run a hose) into the pit to test that the float switch is working and that the pump then activates and drains the water out of the basin.
Then, confirm that the water level has fully dropped back down to the bottom and that the sump pump has turned off. You'll most likely be able to listen for this as the motor will stop running.
With your sump pump in order, basement flooding risk can be greatly reduced, and the need for a dehumidifier.
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5. Move belongings to a higher place
Even after all your home checks, you may still want to protect your valuables from any risk of floods and to do that, you can quickly move anything of value to the highest floor of your home or even the attic.
Of course, you don't need to live with your valuables up high at all times, but if you receive a warning from the National Weather Service or hear of any extreme weather, you should at least have a plan in place about what you choose to move.