High-performing homes should be comfortable, energy-efficient, healthy, safe, smart — and resilient. Resilient homes incorporate extra protection measures and features against extreme weather, wildfires, and other natural disasters, which have become increasingly prevalent in recent times.
In our Resilient Home Series, we’ve explored how to protect your home against fire, storms, and drought. Now let’s cover safeguarding your home against floods.
Am I at Risk of Floods?
“Floods can happen anywhere — just one inch of floodwater can cause up to $25,000 in damage,” reports the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA determines the flood risk by the Base Flood Elevation (BFE), which measures the expected floodwater level during a flood event that has a one in 100 chance of occurring in any given year. The BFE is often referred to as the 100-year flood elevation, but for some, that’s not cautious enough. Some municipalities particularly prone to flooding now require new construction to be built at a 500-year flood elevation.
That said, of course desert dwellers don’t need to take the same precautions as seaside settlers, so how do you determine your flood risk? You could visit the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and search for your address, but the results are delivered in cryptic categories with the mystic BFE left unidentified.
OR save yourself a headache and login to Pearl Certification’s award-winning Green Door app to download your free ClimateCheck® report. ClimateCheck calculates the projected flood risk of your specific address by assessing four types of potential floods:
Coastal: High tides and sea level rise
Storm surge: A rise in ocean water, higher than normal tide, generated by a storm
Fluvial: Flooding from bodies of water overflowing
Pluvial: Surface-water flooding
Flood risk scores are expressed on a scale of one to 100 as it relates in comparison to the contiguous U.S.
Reinforce Your Residence
Your ClimateCheck flood risk score will help determine what lengths you should go to protect your abode from high waters. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) provides building standards for flood-resilient homes, and houses that meet these standards experience nearly 80% less damage annually than homes without these fortifications. Read on to learn your options for guarding your domicile against trespassing liquid.
Insure Your Assets
Just because you have homeowners insurance does not mean you're protected against floods. "Standard homeowners insurance policies do not cover flooding,” said Kerry Harp, Senior Sustainability Analyst at Pearl Certification. Although 99% of U.S. counties suffered flood damage between 1996 and 2019, only 15% of homeowners have flood insurance. “If your home is in a location that is at risk of flooding, get flood coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)," says Harp.
Not only should you get flood insurance, but you should purchase it now. Most flood insurance policies go into effect 30 days after purchase, so if you’re standing in knee-deep water in your home when you make the call, you’re too late.
Danger! Danger!
Smoke detector? Check. Carbon monoxide detector? Check. Water detector? Yes, they exist too! This electronic device often uses a small cable that lies flat on the floor and relies on the electrical conductivity of water to detect the presence of unwanted irrigation. The device sounds an alarm with the intent of alerting the homeowner in time to take action against damage.
