How to Protect Your Home from Flooding

The Tampa Bay region is mighty flat. It also has roughly 160 miles of shoreline and numerous lakes, ponds, canals, rivers, and retention ponds. When heavy rains hit, the area has high chances of flooding, some places more so than others.
Below are tips to mitigate flooding in and around your home.

How to protect the exterior of your home from flooding:

Maintain proper water runoff and drainage.
Routinely clean and maintain gutters, downspouts, and splashpads so that rainwater from your roof flows easily away from your home. Also, make sure that any nearby drainage ditches or storm drains are clear of debris and functioning properly.

Improve lot grading.
Determine how water flows or accumulates around your home to identify potential trouble spots (often easy to see during an average rainstorm). Stormwater should always drain away from the building; if necessary, change your landscaping to improve runoff.

Reduce impervious surfaces around your home.
Water runs off concrete and asphalt almost immediately and can exceed the capacity of storm sewers quickly during heavy rains. Retaining and creating natural green space around your home can help reduce sewer overflows by reducing stormwater runoff.

Install a rain barrel.
A rain barrel is an alternative method for dealing with rainwater. Rain barrels are typically connected to gutter downspouts and collect the runoff from roofs. You can use this stored water for non-potable uses such as watering the lawn and gardens or washing your car.

Elevate utilities and service equipment.
Raise and anchor air conditioning condensers, heat pumps, water meters and other service equipment onto pedestals or platforms that are at least 1 foot above the potential flood elevation.

Anchor outdoor fuel tanks.
Attach outdoor fuel tanks to a large concrete slab that weighs enough to resist the force of floodwaters or install inexpensive ground anchors that are connected across the top of the tank with metal straps. If not feasible then all filling and ventilation tubes should be elevated so that floodwaters cannot enter the tank.

How to protect the interior of your home from flooding:

Protect your valuable possessions.
Move important documents and other valuable or sentimental items to a safer location, well above the potential flood elevation and/or inside watertight containers.

Seal your foundation and basement walls.
Close any foundation cracks with mortar and masonry caulk or hydraulic cement, which expands and fills gaps completely. Seal walls in your basements with waterproofing compounds to avoid seepage. Make sure any floor drains are clear of obstructions.

Install flood vents.
Flood vents are small permanent openings that allow floodwater to flow freely through an enclosure such as a crawlspace or garage. Properly positioned and installed flood vents protect homes during floods by preventing water pressure buildup that can destroy walls and foundations. Once installed, make sure your flood vents are kept free of debris and will allow the free-flow of floodwater.

Install a sump pump.
Sump pumps, which pump groundwater away from your home, can be an excellent defense against basement seepage and flooding. They draw in the groundwater from around the house and direct it away from the structure through drainage pipes.

Prevent sewer backups.
Install drain plugs for all basement floor drains to prevent sewer backups. Another recommended option, regardless of the potential flood elevation, is to install sewer backflow valves for all pipes entering the building. These devices, which allow water to flow only one direction, prevent floodwater and wastewater from backing up into your home through toilets, sinks, and other drains.

Use flood-resistant building materials.

• Replace wooden floorboards and carpets with ceramic tile, vinyl, rubber, or other flood-resistant materials. Use moveable rugs instead of fitted carpets.
• Replace internal walls and ceilings with flood-resistant material such as lime plaster, cement board, concrete, or pressure-treated and decay-resistant wood.
• Replace wooden doors and window frames with metal or other flood resistant options.
  

Raise electrical system components.
Increase the height of electric service panels (fuse and circuit breaker boxes) and all outlets, switches, and wiring to at least 1 foot above the potential flood elevation. These modifications should be made by a licensed electrician.

Protect utilities and service equipment.
Move the main parts of your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to a higher floor or the attic. Consider raising other major appliances, such as washers, dryers, and hot water heaters, above the ground floor.

Anchor indoor fuel tanks.
Anchor fuel tanks by attaching them to a large concrete slab that weighs enough to resist the force of floodwaters.

Install a flood alert system.
A variety of flood sensors and other early warning devices can alert you to the risk of imminent flooding so that you can take preventative or protective actions before extensive damage occurs.

It's important that flood mitigation measures are tailored to the property in question. Depending on the project, you may need to consult local architects, engineers, contractors, landscapers, or other experts in design and construction.
Also, changes to properties and buildings often require permits or other regulatory approvals. Hillsborough County Building Permits & Records is a good place to start for advice on how to best proceed.
For more information about how to protect your home from flooding, review FEMA's guide on Protecting Your Home from Flooding.

Get connected. Stay alert

For more information on Hillsborough County's response to inclement weather and other emergencies, visit Stay Safe and sign up for HCFL Alert.