Preparing for a Flood – Flood Damage Resilience and Restoration

Once again, we’ve reached that time of year when the UK is shrouded in darkness, rain and the persistent gloom that has become an unwelcome fixture in our weekly forecasts. This seasonal transition triggers an onslaught of leaks and flood damage, with the torrent of rain or burst riverbank water finding its way through every nook and cranny of your property.

To avoid disaster, it’s crucial to always be prepared for the possibility of flooding and have a clear understanding of your choices when it comes to flood damage restoration.

Preparing for Flooding & Managing Flood Damage

Without heavy duty measures in place, you will find it difficult to completely block flood water from gaining entrance to your property and causing flood damage. However, there are plenty of steps you can take to minimise the damage to your property and valuables.

Keep an Eye on Flood Alerts

You can stay informed about flood alerts by monitoring updates from local authorities and environmental agencies, many of which offer notification services that you can sign up to. Depending on the severity of the flood, it may also be announced on the news or in weather reports.

This will allow you time to prepare, or at the very least, understand what you need to prepare for. Communicate with your loved ones to ensure awareness and establish a plan should the weather deteriorate.

Assess whether your property is at risk of flooding

Our blog How to check if your property is at risk of flooding, specifies reliable weather service sources available for each region within the UK. From this, you can determine whether you need to consider implementing drainage systems and proper landscaping to divert incoming rain and floodwater away from your property.

Move Electricals Out of Reach

Wiring and other electrical items should be elevated above the predicted flood levels. Those in flood prone regions may want to consider moving any electrical sockets above these levels too.

Not only will this minimise flood damage to electrical objects, but it will avoid any safety hazards that could be caused. Those with the budget may want to consider purchasing back up power sources such as generators to use in the event the mains power is compromised.

Move Furniture and Other Valuable Items

Where possible, move any vulnerable furniture, valuable items and documents that you do not want to be damaged to an elevated area. For items that can’t be moved, consider using cling film beneath the furniture legs to prevent any potential colour or stain transfer from the furniture to the floor.

Prepare an Emergency Kit

For severe flooding where you may need to evacuate or facing the possibility of being trapped indoors, it would be sensible to create an emergency flood kit. This kit should be stored in a waterproof container, easily accessible, and could potentially include:

• Flashlights and batteries
• Non-perishable food and bottles of water
• Necessary medication and first-aid
• Warm clothing
• Personal hygiene items such as nappies
• Copies of personal and important documents, including your flood insurance policy
• Mobile phones with chargers and a portable battery pack
• Phone numbers of local authorities, shelters and family members

Consider Flood Mitigation Measures

There are many types of flood mitigation measures that may be useful to those in flood prone areas. These include flood sensors, sump pumps and various flood barrier technologies tailored to your property’s specific needs and requirements.

Most Importantly – Purchase Flood Insurance

Regular homeowner’s insurance does not always cover flood damage costs. If your home is located in a flood prone area, it’s a good idea to be prepared for the worst and cover yourself with comprehensive insurance.

Contact your insurer to check your policies coverage and what options are available to you.

What To Do If Your Property is Flooded?

Unfortunately, there are some circumstances where thorough preparation alone may not suffice to shield your property from the perils of flood damage and the havoc caused by a weather disaster. In the event water has already infiltrated your property, it is important to promptly initiate repairs to minimise the risk of secondary damage.

In cases where the damage proves challenging to address, enlist the services of flood damage restoration professionals who can swiftly and effectively rectify the issues with your property.

Rainbow Restoration offer professional flood damage and water damage restoration, providing this service across the UK to many commercial and domestic clients for over 30 years.

We employ specialised drying equipment, along with our extensive expertise and experience, to restore your property back to pre-incident condition in no time, with minimal disruption.

If you have suffered from, or are interested in our flood and water damage restoration service, contact our national helpline today to discuss your situation, or locate your closest branch to you with our branch finder.

Updated 07/11/23