Wildfires and Flooding: How To Protect Your Home

5/28/2021 (Permalink)

Wildfires can increase the risk of flooding.

Wildfire damage affects Colorado Springs, CO, residents in many ways. One of the most significant causes of further damage is the increased risk of flooding:

• The charred ground doesn't absorb water efficiently.
  
• Instead of soaking into the ground, rainwater gathers and runs, picking up soil and debris as it floods into communities.
  
• After-fire flooding can occur for up to five years after the wildfire.
  

Before wildfire affects your home, learn how the FEMA NFIP, or Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Flood Insurance Program, can help keep your home safe.

Insurance Coverage

If your home survives the flames of a wildfire, your next main concern should be flooding damage. Unfortunately, many general homeowners' policies don't cover this type of damage, and additional policies may be expensive. The FEMA NFIP is an affordable option that may provide you with the funds necessary to hire fire and flood damage cleanup and restoration professionals.

Fire and Flood Damage Prevention

In addition to purchasing necessary insurance, you can prepare your family and home against damage from fires and flooding:

• Clear brush away from your home. Keep trees, bushes, and other combustible items at least five feet away from the home.
  
• Remove dead plants, branches, leaves, and clutter away from your yard.
  
• Don't store firewood next to your home.
  
• Keep downspouts and gutters clean to allow for water flow.
  
• Improve the grade on your property, so water flows away from your home.
  
• Create a landscape that allows water to be absorbed.
  

You can also reach out to your insurance provider for other steps that reduce the risk of flooding and other fire damage. With these steps complete, spend some time backing up any vital paperwork, such as the deed to your home and family documents. It's also a good idea to create a family emergency plan for evacuation, communication, and meeting places.

Peace of Mind

While you can't anticipate all the dangers that wildfire brings to your community, your access to FEMA NFIP can help you decrease the fallout. Any steps you take to prepare for wildfires or flooding can help you respond calmly and confidently in an emergency.