Keeping your business (or home) high and dry from flood damage

The risk of flood damages to your business is no joke. Flooding can not only pose a significant risk to your employees’ safety but also cause damage to your assets. It also can be responsible for downtime too. That is why it is so important to do everything you can to protect your business (or home) from flood damage.

Make sure that you are adequately insured 

You must make sure that you have comprehensive insurance against flooding. As the best policy, you should read through your business’s (or home’s) policy. Check to ensure that flooding damage from storms and leaks is covered. 

It’s also a good idea to secure the number of a good insurance claims company at the same time. Then if you do have to ever make a claim you can contact them to come and assess the damage. Something that means you get a much more objective opinion. Moreover, it can help you to maximize the claim that you receive. 

Make a flood plan for your employees (or residents)

Indeed, you should have emergency plans for all possible scenarios that could occur at your business (or home), including a flood. Such a plan should include how you will let employers (and if applicable, landlords) know there is a problem. It should also include the route you want them to take when exiting the building. Finally, it should specify as well as a safe place to gather upon evacuation.

That is why it is so important to do everything you can to protect your business or home from flood damage, especially if you are in a know flood prone area.

In your plan, it is also vital that you provide for those that are differently-abled and may need additional assistance. 

Make a flood plan for your building 

The safety of your employees will be your first concern. You will also want to do everything possible to protect your business (or home) and property. Make sure you can get things back up and running as fast as possible. 

For some, this may include turning off the services to the building such as electricity. This can be a very dangerous hazard in a flood. However, do remember that many of the systems like doors and elevators may require electricity to work. Allow employees to leave the building, so schedule any turn-off at the right stage in the evacuation. 

With that in mind, taking extra precautions such as using shielding like sandbags and barriers to stop water from entering the ground floor of your building is a good idea. Additionally, if you know your building is at high risk of flooding it is a smart idea to have valves installed that will further stop the creep of floodwater.  

Additionally, use barriers to direct the flow of water away from your building to a safer location like a storm drain. 

Ensure you have the right supplies 

Last of all, if you want to protect your business (or home) against the damage that flooding can cause you will need the right supplies. In addition to items like the sandbags, previously mentioned, investing in resources such as wind-up generators, lights that run on batteries, and pumps that can help remove any flood water is an excellent idea.