The Flood Vent Blog

Spring weather often exacerbates flooding as a result of rainstorms and snowmelt. This year, the U.S. Midwest has been hit particularly hard.

Three months ago, the area was suffering from drought conditions that had lasted through the summer. Today, heavy rainfall, as much as eight inches a week in some areas, has led to rivers overflowing their banks.

Here’s a report from CBS News on the flooding:

Whether your home is subject to annual spring flooding or not, flood vents can be a great way to protect your home from structural damage should flooding occur. Flood vents allow floodwater to flow through your home rather than around it, and this helps equalize water forces between the inside and outside of your home. As a result, your home’s structural integrity is less likely to be compromised.

At Flood Solutions, we’ve been designing and manufacturing flood vents for years. All our flood vents are FEMA compliant and made of extruded or cast aluminum, guaranteed not to rust or rot. For more information about installing FEMA compliant flood vents in your home, contact Flood Solutions.

FEMA is in the process of updating the nation’s flood maps. They use statistical data on river levels, rainfall and other factors to assess flood risk and then communicate these findings through flood hazard maps. These maps largely determine how much you’ll pay in flood insurance premiums. If your area’s assessment changes from low to high risk, your premiums will likely go up.

There is a way to avoid this premium increase, at least for a while. As described in a National Flood Insurance Program fact sheet, property owners can grandfather their existing flood insurance policy if they renew and maintain coverage before the new maps are released. Grandfathering is also available to property owners who built their homes in compliance with the flood map in effect at time of construction. Keep in mind, though, if your risk assessment level decreases, your new premium could go down, not up. Consult with your insurance agent to determine the best strategy for you and your home.

In the meantime, to keep up to date on FEMA’s flood map changes, check out “What’s New in Flood Hazard Mapping.” You can also sign up for FEMA email updates.

And while you’re looking for ways to lower your flood insurance premiums, ask your insurance agent about premium reductions for flood vents. Flood vents often qualify you for a lower rate.

All our Flood Solutions flood vents are FEMA compliant and made of heavy-duty construction. They’re guaranteed not to rust or rot. For more information, contact us.

Flood safety week was last month. Throughout the week, FEMA posted flood safety tips, stories about flooding and reminders to get prepared on their blog. One particularly interesting submission was by Scott E. Schermerhorn, Master Technician – Technical Rescue, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. For the past ten years, he’s been involved in swift water response and rescue. In his article, he reveals the lessons he’s learned in his work. Here are just a few:

• Be prepared. Your flood safety plan should identify areas of risk around your home. Know your evacuation route and stay away from areas prone to flash flooding.
• Heed warnings. Almost everyone Scott has had to rescue did not listen to flood warnings and made a conscious decision to enter a flood water area.
• Floods can occur anywhere, at any time. Floods don’t just result from excess precipitation. They can also occur as a result of snowmelt or mechanical failure, such as burst dams or pipes.
• Follow the directions of rescuers. You might think you’re safe sitting on the top of your car surrounded by floodwater. You’re not. Listen to and follow the instructions of emergency crews.

When you’re thinking about flood preparation, consider installing flood vents in your home. Flood vents help protect your home from flood damage by helping to maintain your home’s structural integrity.

Our FEMA compliant flood vents are available in three different models. They come with easy to follow installation instructions, and we’re always available to answer your questions. For more information about our flood vents, contact Flood Solutions.

We’ve all seen the devastating pictures of cars submerged or being moved by flood water. If your car has been subjected to flood water, you’ll want to proceed cautiously once flood waters recede.

Resist the temptation to start your car once you get access to it. Flood water can carry dirt and particles into every system and crevice of your car, including the engine, transmission, drive train and fuel brake and power steering systems. If you start your car, these particles may be driven deeper into systems, making them more difficult to clean. Instead, have your vehicle inspected and all systems cleaned and flushed before you try and start it.

As you might guess, cars may need to be taken apart substantially for cleaning, which involves a lot of time and labor. Depending on the extent of the damage and the make and model of your car, the cost of cleaning may exceed the cost of replacing the vehicle. Check with your insurance provider to see what they can do for you.

Unfortunately, the same thing can happen with flood-damaged homes. If your home sustains structural damage, sometimes the home costs more to fix than it’s worth. One of the best ways to reduce the risk of structural damage to your home from flooding is to install flood vents. Our FEMA compliant flood vents have been installed in homes across the U.S.A. For more information on how Flood Solutions flood vents can help mitigate damage to your home in case of flooding, contact us.

If you live in an area prone to flooding, you’ve probably already taken precautions to protect and minimize flood damage to your home. Yet flooding can also devastate gardens, killing plants, contaminating soil and destroying decking, paths and fences. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to help mitigate garden damage.

Ideally, garden flood preparation is part of the planning and design process. By choosing flood resistant plants, improving drainage and using water resistant building materials, you can mitigate damage when flooding occurs.

Of course, most of us are working with existing gardens. This doesn’t mean you have to remove what you have and start over. Instead, as you introduce new plantings or update your design, incorporate elements that will increase your garden’s flood tolerance.

If the worst happens and your garden is subject to a flood, proceed cautiously when cleaning up. Wear heavy gloves and boots and make sure your immunizations are up to date. Scratches can lead to serious infections such as melioidosis and tetanus from contaminated soil. Do not consume fruits or vegetables that have been exposed to flood water as they may carry contaminants from sewage or other sources.

For more information on reducing flood damage to your garden, the Environment Agency (U.K.), in conjunction with BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, has some helpful information.

Before you take steps to prepare your garden for flooding, be sure you’ve done everything you can to mitigate flood damage to your home. For many homeowners, flood vents are an important part of flood preparation. Flood vents help maintain the structural integrity of your home by allowing flood waters to flow through. You’ll end up with a soggy crawlspace, but you’re less likely to sustain structural damage.

At Flood Solutions, we design and manufacture only FEMA compliant flood vents made in the U.S.A. To learn more about our flood vents, contact us.

Unfortunately, floods and other disasters attract scam artists. While donating your time, goods and money is a generous act, make sure your good will isn’t lining the pockets of the unscrupulous.

The Department of Justice and the FBI have guidelines for donating responsibly. They include:

• Do not respond to unsolicited emails
• Beware of organizations with copycat names
• Make donations directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make them on your behalf, and
• Do not give your personal or financial information to anyone soliciting donations.

FEMA also has tips for donating and volunteering responsibly. They suggest donating through trusted organizations. To help guide you, the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) website lists both national and state voluntary organizations.

If you do encounter fraudulent activity in recovery efforts, call the National Centre Disaster Fraud toll-free hotline at 866-720-5721.

In addition to fraudulent activity, unsolicited volunteers and donated goods can sometimes overwhelm communities in crisis. FEMA recommends affiliating with an existing non-profit organization before you go to a disaster area and to donate cash instead of goods when possible.

One way to alleviate flood damage and reduce your reliance on the goodwill of others is to install FEMA compliant flood vents. Our flood vents help prevent structural damage by allowing flood water to flow through your home. Your basement will require cleaning and possibly repairs, but it will cost much less than having to repair structural damage or build a new home.

To learn more about our made-in-the-U.S.A flood vents, contact us.

When considering what to have on hand during a flood emergency, most people think of flashlights, radios and food rations. While these are important, your cell phone is also an important tool in crisis situations. Cell phone text messages are often the most reliable way to connect with family and friends and get current information during a flood.

You don’t want to reach for your cell phone in an emergency only to discover it’s not working or can’t deliver the information you need. Here are a few tips for getting the most support from your cell phone when you really need it:

• Conserve the battery life of your phone. Keep it airplane mode when not in use, reduce the brightness level of your screen and close apps that automatically pull data.
• Have fully charged back-up batteries or a solar powered / hand cranked cell phone charger.
• Keep your cell phone contacts up to date and create a group for emergency contacts.
• Minimize network congestion by keeping phone calls short or (preferably) using text (SMS) messages or email. For the same reason, don’t watch streaming videos or download music or other large files.
• Keep at least one non-cordless landline phone at home. Cordless landline phones won’t work when the power is out.
• Consider using social media, such as Twitter or Facebook, as a quick way to update friends and family.

For more information on phone preparation and use during flooding or other emergencies, check out FEMA’s Get Tech Ready page.

In addition to getting your phones ready for a flood disaster, get your home ready as well. Flood vents allow flood water to pass through the basement of your home, alleviating disproportionate flood water pressure between the inside and outside. You’ll end up with a wet basement, but you’re less likely to suffer serious structural damage.

Flood Solutions’ FEMA compliant flood vents may save you money on your insurance premiums. For more information about our flood vents, contact us.

If you’ve never delved into the basics of flooding, How Stuff Works (a subsidiary of Discovery) has a great article that covers all aspects, from the water cycle (evaporation, condensation, precipitation) to monsoons.

What makes flood water so powerful? How is it we can swim safely in deep ocean water, while even just a few inches of flood water can be deadly? The answer is force of movement. When water overflows riverbanks or bursts dikes, it moves quickly to distribute itself evenly. This movement carries a great deal of force. Water is heavy (as any backpacker knows) so only a few inches of moving flood water can be enough to knock people off their feet or even move cars.

It’s this same force of movement that makes flood vents such a good idea. Flood vents allow water to move through your home, distributing pressure more evenly between the outside and inside of exterior walls. This, in turn, helps your structural foundation remain intact, minimizing costly repairs once flood waters recede.

All our Flood Solutions flood vents are FEMA compliant and made in the U.S.A. For more information about installing flood vents in your new or existing home, contact us.

We often associate flooding with spring, summer and fall seasons. Yet flooding can also happen in the winter. Unlike flooding from hurricanes or tsunamis, winter flooding can happen anywhere, not just in coastal regions.

Ice jams and rapid snowmelt are two common causes of winter floods. Ice jams occur when frozen river surfaces break into large pieces of ice. These pieces float downstream and accumulate at obstruction points, resulting in flooding.

Sudden snow thaws can produce significant amounts of water runoff. With the ground still frozen, it can’t absorb all the water. It quickly overwhelms usual water pathways, such as lakes, streams and rivers.

To learn more about winter flooding, take a look at FEMA’s winter flooding fact sheet.

If your home is situated within reach of lakes, streams or rivers that could flood as a result of ice jams or rapid snow melt, our FEMA compliant flood vents can help reduce damage to your home. To learn more about protecting the structural integrity of your home with flood vents, contact us.