Rain, Rain, Go Away!
Here in Northern Virginia, it seems we haven’t had much of a summer. It has been nothing but clouds, rain, and storms. This has made trips to the pool fewer and farther between; but worse than that, it has caused flooding and damage to many homes in Fairfax and Loudoun County.
Keep YOU Safe
The first priority in case of a flood is keeping you and your loved ones safe. There are some basic safety tips to follow when it comes to flooding to ensure you do not become a victim. 1) During inclement weather, pay close attention to the news. Set up alerts to your cell phone to get notified should any watches or warnings be issued. Once they are, follow the instructions to stay indoors or evacuate. Don’t try to be brave – be smart. 2) If you do have to leave your home, do not enter into moving water. Even just 6 inches of rushing water can knock you down. The advice “turn around, don’t drown” should be followed. If you end up in your car in moving water, leave your vehicle immediately and head to higher ground. 3) Remember that electricity and water do not mix! Never touch anything electrical while in standing water and avoid any downed power lines.
Keep Your Home Safe
There are things you can do in advance to help prepare your home for flooding. Although some damage is unavoidable, preparedness may be the key to reducing your losses. 1) Seal your basement with waterproofing agents. Repair any holes or cracks which may cause a leak. Creating a watertight haven for your belongings will help reduce your losses should flooding occur. 2) Installing a sump pump is a smart way to ensure any standing water near or around your basement is cleared. Especially lately with all these long days of heavy rain, the ground can become saturated and cause excess moisture or flooding in basements. 3) Install a home monitoring system that can detect any extra moisture or flooding in your home. These can be placed in a basement, near an AC unit, in a laundry room, or any other potential source of flooding. By connecting to an automatic water shut-off valve or by simply alerting you to any flooding, you can save yourself thousands of dollars in damages or loss.
If you are interested in how Watch Guard can help protect your home against flooding, reach out to us today to discuss how we can help! Don’t let you or your home become the next victim of these summer floods!