Flood Preparedness

There are things you can do before a flood to protect your property

  • Know your flood risk. Look up your address on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center or consult the local floodplain administrator/GIS staff in regards to your flood risk for your specific property.
  • Get flood insurance. Most homeowners’ insurance does not cover flood damage.
  • Secure your home. Install essential appliances and utilities in areas where they are permanently located above the base flood elevation. Furniture, electronics, and other items that could be damaged by flood waters should be kept in areas not prone to flooding. If you have time, bring in outdoor furniture.
  • Turn off utilities - Disconnect electrical appliances. Do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water.
  • Do a household inventory. Take photos and videos of all major household items and valuables. Retain these in a safe place because they are important when filing insurance claims.
  • Store important documents in a safe, dry place such as watertight container.
  • Have an emergency kit packed that is ready in case you need to leave your home quickly. Keep it in a designated place and make sure all family members know where it is kept. 
  • Invest in flood mitigation. Did you know that for every dollar spent by homeowners on flood mitigation, potentially $7 are saved from future losses. People can mitigate flood damage to their homes by:
    • Elevating and anchoring utilities including electrical panels, propane tanks, sockets, wiring, appliances, and heating systems.
    • Installing a water alarm and maintain a working sump pump to protect your basement.
    • Installing flood vents in foundation walls, garages, and other enclosed areas. They reduce flood damage by allowing water to flow through and drain out; especially when these areas are located below the base flood elevation.
    • Using flood-resistant materials in areas of your home, like replacing carpeting with tiles or using flood-resistant insulation and gypsum wallboard to prevent water doing major damage.
    • Clear away any debris from gutters and downspouts to avoid water accumulation.
    • Installing a backflow valve on your sewer system to prevent sewage backup in your home.
    • Adding waterproof veneer to exterior walls to prevent shallow flooding from damaging your home. Seal basement walls with waterproofing compounds.
    • Retaining and creating natural green space around your home to help reduce runoff. Consider rain gardens or permeable pavement which allow rain and snowmelt to seep through the surface to underlying layers of soil and gravel.

 

Please note: It is very important to plan ahead to protect your own personal property in the floodplain. Pepin County does not have any sandbags, jersey barriers, or other types of flood barriers, nor do we request them from state or federal sources. Flooding along the Mississippi and Chippewa Rivers often raises the river by 10 to 15 feet, since the rivers form miles of boundaries in our county it is impossible for us to procure enough sandbags to protect all homes and businesses that could be impacted by flooding. The best flood protection methods are building wear it is safe, in accordance with the floodplain regulations, or modifying existing floodplain structures so they are floodproofed, properly elevated, and anchored to withstand the expected flood impacts.