Protecting your home from flooding

Flood Re’s Local Heroes judge, Jennie Ludford from NFU Mutual shares her best tips for protecting your home from flooding.

When a flood is expected:

• Turn off gas, electricity and water supplies at the mains
• Unplug all electrical items and store upstairs or as high up as possible
• Contact your local council for sandbags
• Move as much furniture and electrical items as you can upstairs
• Move furniture away from walls
• Roll up carpets and rugs and put them upstairs
• Remove curtains or hang them up over the rail so they are kept above flood water
• Leave internal doors open
• Move sentimental items upstairs
• Keep important personal documents in a sealed bag, and in a safe location

During flooding:

• Make sure you have important personal documents such as insurance and bank details, as well as essential contacts in the local authority and your doctor
• Don’t go into rooms with standing water if the power is still on
• Don’t use electrical appliances affected by, or in contact with, moisture
• Move your car to higher ground to avoid damage

After flooding:

• Contact your insurer as soon as possible
• Do not drink tap water until the all clear is given
• Get your electrical system checked before turning back on
• If you suspect the flood water to be contaminated (by sewage, for example) discard the affected items immediately
• Take photographs of damaged items as this will help with insurance claims
• Floor coverings should be removed to reveal bare floorboards or concrete
• Start the drying out process by removing a couple of floorboards at each end of affected ground-floor rooms
• Aid ventilation by opening windows and turning the heating on low

If you have any further tips then we would love to hear from you to help others in flood prone areas.

Jennie Ludford, PR and CSR Manager, NFU Mutual