Apartment Disaster Plan: Flood

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Apartment Disaster Plan: Flood

Staff Writer · Jul 12, 2010

There’s no question that you’ll want to come up with a disaster plan for floods, if you live in a flood zone. Flash floods, though, can happen anywhere as a result of heavy rain storms, which means every renter, whether you live in a flood zone or not, should take preparing for floods seriously.

Renters Flood Insurance

Your landlord’s flood insurance will cover the apartment structure and appliances if there are damaged. It won’t cover damage to or loss of your personal items. You need your own insurance for that, and a basic renters insurance policy won’t do. You’ll need to buy a separate policy or rider, depending on your insurance company.

It will cost you more money per month, but think of the alternative. You would have to save up enough money to replace your items, which could take several months or a year or two, if you’re living on a tight budget.

Pay Attention to Weather Reports

If the news or radio station announces a “thunderstorm watch” or “thunderstorm warning,” you need to pay attention. Flash flooding can occur, and you’ll need to follow your disaster plan. If there’s a flood warning, then you’ll know outright that it’s time to put your plan into action.

You’ll need to buy a weather radio to keep abreast of all the updates, because power outages will make watching television impossible. They are also called AM/FM radios, and you can buy ones that use batteries, or ones that you hand crank. If you buy one that uses a battery, make sure you buy extra batteries.

Get Emergency Kits

Emergency kits are handy for floods, because you may need to evacuate. You should store as much food, water, medicine, lighting and other supplies for any disaster plan in your apartment, but you can’t take them all with you. An emergency kit is lightweight for you to carry and use for three days. Everyone in your apartment needs one, whether you buy one that’s pre-made or you make your own.

Have one in your car and in your apartment, to easily grab and evacuate to higher ground if you need to.

Stock Wipes

Floods and mold go hand in hand, which can be a disaster if you have asthma or suffer from other allergies. Anti-bacterial wipes will be precious to you when there’s a flood. You can keep counters, floors and other things clean and free of as much mold as possible. You may be stuck in your apartment for days, and you’ll want to have what you need on hand to fight mold.

Light Needs

Your disaster plan for floods has to include the probability that there will be power outages. You should have foods stored so that you won’t have to worry about cooking, but you need a way to see in the dark. Some ways to stock up for your lighting needs include:

-Waterproof matches
-Emergency 100-hour candles
-Hand crank flashlights and lanterns
-Lighters
-Oil lamps
-Glow sticks

You need to be able to see your surroundings when there’s a blackout. It’s a safety issue, more than anything else.

Flood preparation is not something that only homeowners should do. You need to be prepared as a renter, and your disaster plan should include the possibility of a flood, because it can happen where you live.

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