What is Floodproofing?

Managing Flood Risk is Your Responsibility
Existing homes and buildings located in Sunset Valley have a risk of flooding. As the owner and/or occupant of such a structure, you can put your head in the sand and hope for the best. Or you can take an active role in understanding the risks and taking measures to reduce the chances and severity of future flood damage to the structure and its contents.

Options for Protecting Flood-Prone Property.
There are a number of ways to protect your property from flood damage (and yourself from the associated heartache). The options include:

• Demolition: Removing flood-prone development and relocating to a safer location is a permanent solution to a flooding problem. This is most often done after a major flood as an alternative to costly repairs.
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• Elevation: Almost any structurally-sound building can be elevated so that the finished living space is located above the anticipated height of flood waters. The building is separated from its foundation, lifted with hydraulic jacks, and placed on a new or extended foundation. The building can be elevated on solid perimeter foundation walls, fill, or an open foundation system (piers, posts, columns, or piles).

   

• Dry floodproofing: Dry floodproofing involves sealing building walls with waterproof compounds, so that the structure is watertight. This technique can only be used when the walls are strong enough to withstand the hydrostatic force of the water. Shields may be installed to seal off doors, windows, and other openings.

   

• Wet floodproofing: There are a variety of techniques that can reduce the damage to a building and its contents, while allowing the structure to flood. The building must be anchored to prevent flotation and must have flood vents, or permanent openings, that allow water to flow in and out of the structure without damaging the foundation. Vulnerable items, such as utilities, appliances, and contents are relocated (permanently or temporarily) to higher parts of the building (above the anticipated flood height) or protected in place. Flood-damage resistant building materials are used for those parts of the building that will be flooded. Automatic shut-off valves are installed on sewer and fuel lines.

   

• Flood insurance: Insurance will do nothing to prevent flood damage but can protect your financial investment. Although the annual premiums for flood insurance may be high (depending on the location, age, and elevation of the structure), the investment may significantly lower the financial burden when flood damage occurs. Flood insurance coverage is available from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for any building and/or its contents if the municipality participates in the NFIP (by regulating floodplain development).