Safeguarding Your Home When the Rain Comes to Town | SERVPRO® of New Center/Highland Park

Rain can come in all shapes and sizes, and some days we are grateful for it and other days it ruins our plans. A soft and gentle rain can refresh our community and cool everything down while a harsh storm can cause all kinds of watery chaos in a short amount of time.

Serious situations can occur when strong storms come to town, even if we do what we can to prepare. Rain can push into our homes and leak down our walls or come rushing into our basements in a flash flood situation.

Our SERVPRO® of New Center/Highland Park team is here to help make sure you stay safe and dry, so read on to learn some flood safety tips.

The Rain Dangers in Our Area

We are thankfully protected inland from rising water levels off of Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t vulnerable to flooding issues from time to time. Heavy rain accompanying thunderstorms or the rapid snowmelt from a particularly snowy winter season can lead to all kinds of water troubles. Rain can flood roads, overwhelm city blocks and make its way into our basements in a singular event.

While we understand that this kind of weather is not preventable, you can still take steps to prepare now so that you are ready to take action as soon as the warning is issued. Stay connected to our local weather authorities and follow the below steps to stay safe.

Being Safe When the Warnings Are Issued

Getting your home ready and prioritizing your family’s safety should always be your main goals when heavy rain is predicted. Head for home as soon as a flood warning or severe storm is predicted, but be sure to avoid any low-lying areas or streets that tend to flood when the rain comes down.

Get whatever you can into your garage and make sure anything is tied down that you don’t want to float away. Propane tanks, lawn furniture and kids’ toys can all be secured ahead of time in the event of an emergency.

If your basement tends to flood during heavy rain, now is the time to start moving fragile or sentimental possessions out of your lowest level to protect them from damage. Turn off electricity to that space, and then just keep an eye on any developing conditions. Stay above the water line and stay calm if it starts rushing into your house. Eventually, the storm will pass and you will be able to get us on the phone.

Steps to Take to Avoid Future Water Issues

We all know that weather can take us by surprise even if we are prepared for it. While it certainly can be frustrating to deal with damages in the moment, they can actually teach us more about our homes so we can take steps to avoid more damage in the future.

For example, if your patio door is always the spot that leaks water in your basement when it starts to rain, grading your property around that area of your home can help naturally encourage water to move down and away instead of backward into your foundation.

Another way to reliably stay dry is to invest in a sump pump. Sump pumps have the ability to sense when excess water is in the area around your home and they will kick on to start removing it and pumping it back up to the surface. Then it will flow through tubes to an area far from your foundation.

Even if you do everything right and prepare how you should, water has a mind of its own. If you find yourself standing in a flooded home after a storm, contact SERVPRO of New Center/Highland Park for a quick restoration.

We are here for all of your water disasters. Contact us day or night for a quick recovery.