Flooding in Tulsa. What is the best way to be prepared?

12/15/2017 (Permalink)

When preparing for a storm, you might be thinking about flood damage in Tulsa but are you really prepared for it? One of the first priorities prior to a storm is grabbing food and extra water. The second is flashlights and batteries. After you have all the emergency, personal things accomplished, it's time to think about what happens if there's a flood. Will you be prepared?

Being prepared for a flood doesn't only involve sealing the cracks in your foundation or making sure the pump in the basement has enough fuel. There are other concerns like the type of insurance coverage you have on your property if and when a flood happens to you.

Insurance Coverage

Many people are under the impression that their homeowner's insurance covers flood damage. Unfortunately, most policies do not cover flood damage even though they cover storm damage. Flood insurance might need to be purchased separately. If you have flood damage in your policy, find out exactly how much it covers. Will it cover the cost of fixing a sewer backup? Is there a cap on the amount that the policy will cover? These questions are important to ask long before you have a problem.

Contractors

When you have a problem in your home, it's essential that you have a list of contractors that you trust. All the research into contractors' policies, work ethic and reliability should be done before the contractor is needed. The local utility or public works department should have a list of contractors on hand for the public. Don't keep the list without vetting the possibilities before you need to hire them. To find out if your home is at risk for flooding, contact the possible contractors for a walkthrough of your home. This will help you research and become comfortable with the contractor before you ever need their emergency services.

Flooding and the Sewer

When an area floods around your home, it's not only your home that is impacted. The entire area can become overflowing and that includes the sewer. The sewer connections in your home could become backed up and cause unsanitary conditions. When water enters the sewers from a variety of sources during a flood, it's called inflow. The contractor that you hire to do a test on your home can find out whether you have any source of inflow problems long before a flood situation takes place. He'll need to make sure there's a proper backflow valve.

It's a good idea to have a flood or elevation map of the area surrounding your home. Even homes that are not near the coast can have flooding problems. Very dry areas cannot handle sudden heavy rains so they would be a serious problem during a big storm with potential torrential rain. When you're preparing for your next flood, make sure you have the proper help through insurance and contractors before there's a flooding problem.

SERVPRO of South Tulsa County is locally owned and operated and serves Oklahoma City, Edmond, Tulsa, Sapulpa, Okmulgee, Jenks, Catoosa, Sand Springs, Glenpool, Coweta, and the surrounding communities

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