Tell me more about retrofitting a home with flood prevention measures.
There are a number of improvements that can be added to an existing home that can help reduce or even eliminate flood damage risks. They include:
- Elevating the entire structure above the 100-year flood level.
- Elevating crucial home infrastructure - such as electrical outlets, breaker or fuse boxes, water heaters, HVAC equipment and fuel tanks.
- Floodproofing low-lying areas of a home - either dry floodproofing (making areas watertight to keep floods out) or wet floodproofing (making areas waterproof to withstand periods of flooding).
- Including openings in flood-prone areas to allow floodwaters to flow through.
- Installing sewer backflow valves to prevent sewage backup in a flood.
- Installing storm shutters and reinforcing garage doors.
Further information can be found at the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Web site at http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/floodplain/publications.shtm. Under the "Floodplain Management" heading, several items explain how you can protect your property.
Lee County can also help you reduce your property's flood hazard by putting you in contact with qualified contractors to make your house or building safer. Call the Lee County Division of Public Safety at (239) 533-3911 for help in identifying and examining different ways to retrofit an existing building and advise on siting and building new structures. For help with local drainage problems, call (239) 533-9400 or send an e-mail to RFA@leegov.com describing your problem. These services are free.