Floods are unavoidable, and once they happen, they can not be stopped. There is no way to predict when a flood will occur, and if you live in an area at high risk for flooding, the best thing you can do is take some preventative measures to minimize damage and loss should a flood occur. If you live in these zones, you also need to be prepared to pay a higher premium for flood insurance.



High-risk flood areas are grounds for much higher flood insurance premiums, oftentimes as much as three times higher than similar houses located in low-risk areas. Unfortunately, if you do not wish to move to a lower risk area, then the higher premiums are something that you are going to have to pay.

When realizing that your premiums will be so much higher, it is easy to feel helpless, but you need to realize that you are not. Call your insurance provider and express your situation. He or she is experienced and will be able to give you a number of helpful tips on how to safeguard your home and your possessions against excessive flood damage. These safeguards not only protect your possessions, they may also serve to help slightly lower your premiums. It is extremely important to follow these safeguards and maintain adequate coverage for your house and contents. If you stop and consider the amount of work and money that went into acquiring your home and the things inside, and the number of things that money can not replace, you will see the importance of protecting it all. Once these things are destroyed or lost, it is very hard to deal with, and replacing memories is much harder than replacing things.

If there is a flood warning, do all the safeguarding that you have ample time to do. Do not, however, spend too much time trying to salvage possessions when flood is imminent. No matter how valuable your belongings, they are not more valuable than your life and safety. You and your family are the truly irreplaceable things in your house.

Always be sure that your insurance paperwork, emergency numbers, and other important paperwork are easily accessible and safe in case of a flood. When faced with catastrophe, it is of no help knowing that the number you desperately need to call is floating somewhere in your house. If you have purchased sandbags, put them at the base of your doors, particularly the door leading to the outside, or to the source of the water, to keep water from pushing the doors open and seeping or pouring in. Move your electronics and furniture to the highest part of your home if you can, as doing so can save you lots of time, paperwork, and money.

If there is enough water to flood your house, and it is coming in from outside, do not try to leave. In these situations, there is usually a very strong current and you will likely be swept away by it when trying to escape. Opening a door or window will also allow much more water to enter your home. If you have higher floors, do not hesitate to move yourself and your family and pets upstairs. You should always have handy an emergency kit, complete with dry clothes, toiletries, medications, a flashlight or torch and batteries, fresh, clean drinking water,and emergency numbers to call.

If your home has flooded, turn off the main electrical circuit immediately. Do not under any circumstances attempt to use any source of electricity near flood water, even if the amount of water is minimal, as water is a very strong conductor of electricity. As the water subsides, you may be tempted to start redecorating. This should not be your first priority. Before moving things around, first call your insurance provider so that they may have someone come out and perform and estimate.

If you would like more information about high-risk flood ares, you can call the National Flood Warning Centre at 01276 454 725 or go to www.environment.agency.gov.uk and www.homecheck.co.uk on the web.