Understanding Your Flood Risk Before 

It's Too Late  

  

According to FEMA, floods are the #1 natural disaster in United States, Floods can occur anywhere, often with little or no warning, and with devastating consequences. Protecting the bottom line in order to remain open, or to re-open quickly after a flood disaster, requires taking steps now to prevent or reduce flood damage should your business be in the path of rising water.  What are some of the steps you can take to prevent a flood disaster?  Have a flood policy, know your risk for both severity and frequency of flooding in your area, take inventory of your stock, and take photos and/or videos prior to a flood disaster.

   

Duration: It is important to know if flood waters are expected to recede quickly or may be trapped due to the slope of the land. The longer your business is exposed to flood waters, the greater potential for flood-proofing failures due to a breach in the protection.

  

Depth:  Flood waters greater than 3 feet create hydrostatic pressure on walls that can cause cracks in masonry and greatly increase the potential of collapse to unreinforced masonry. When estimating the potential depth of flood waters, it is always best to include a safety factor to account for inaccuracies in the estimate.

  

Velocity: As flood water velocity increases, so does the pressure exerted on flood protection. River flooding can be very fast moving water at first and then may settle down. Coastal locations may be exposed to wave action from storm surge.

  

Water Condition: Many times flood waters are dirty, brackish or contaminated with biological and chemical materials including waste water, sewage, pesticides, industrial waste, toxic and non-toxic chemicals, or oils. Debris that is churning in the water can impact buildings and flood protection systems, create breaches in the protection and cause extensive damage.

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(Source: Member Insurance,  May 2018)