With the warm weather, which is amazing by the way, comes the potential risks of “run-off” season. All the snow from our backyards, the roads and ditches to the top of the mountains is all going to be melting very quickly. With temperatures reaching 10 degrees by the weekend, it is safe to say this snow will all be gone in a hurry. This opens us up to the risks of flooding.
Many towns and communities are not designed or prepared for the event of a flood. Every year it seems like a new community is in distress to flooding circumstances. Recently, social media has been blowing up about the flooding in Nebraska. It is heartbreaking to see the people, homes, towns, animals that are all affected by the high waters and the damage it is causing. I’m sure nobody thought this would happen to them, and it is happening.
“So what can we do about this?”
There are small things that can be done to prevent damage to your home and vehicles. Such as removing snow from the perimeter of your home and shoveling off your roof to prevent ice damming, collapse and water seepage issues, connecting your downspouts and directing them away from your dwelling. Taking this a step further, during the spring and summer months, make sure the landscaping and slope of your yard is directed away from your home.
Another preventative measure would be to install a sump pump in your basement (if you haven’t already). By having a sump pump, it will remove the ground water from the high water table below your dwelling, and pump it out onto your lawn. This way any potential seepage issue of water coming through your foundation, is eliminated. Adding a battery backup is important in case the sump pump is needed during a thunderstorm/downpour of rain and the power cuts out.
An in-line backup water valve is also important to prevent sewer backups. Sometimes the cities and town storm drain systems are unable to keep up with the water pouring into the system. This could cause a simultaneous backup of multiple homes around town/city. By having an inline valve, it will force shut when water comes back up the sewer pipe. This will block water from re-entering the dwelling and preventing a sewer backup.
Lastly, you can purchase sewer/water protection coverage on your home policy. This coverage is available with most insurance companies. The amount of coverage and the price varies on: your location, your previous claims history and the history of the dwelling you reside in. If the home has a history of water claims, coverage for sewer backup or flood may be difficult to obtain, so it is important to have the above preventative measures in place. If you haven’t had a claim, and you have the above measures in place, please notify your broker as you may be able to reduce your premium for the water protection coverage.
Heavy rains, spring run-off and a high water table are some common cases of flooding and seepage issues. Risk management is important to prevent these types of losses. If you have any questions about these coverages, please contact your broker or feel free to give us a call. We want to make sure you have the best coverage available to you to properly protect your assets.