What Winter Flooding Can Do to Your Kansas Home - And What You Can Do About It By Anthony Peck At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

When you think of flooding you usually think of homes along the coast. Memories of Hurricane Katrina and visions of river banks overflowing fill your mind. What you don't usually think of is flooding in the middle of Kansas-but with the amount of snow that's graced the Kansas plains this year it's a very real threat, and one that homeowners shouldn't ignore.

The first thing any Kansas homeowner should do is look into potential sources of flood insurance. Most homeowners insurance providers are hesitant to insure your home against flooding, even if it comes as a result of melting snows, which means you may have a hard time finding quality coverage-and the major danger from this type of flooding comes not to your person but to your belongings. Your basement might never be the same!

Because finding flood insurance after the winter flooding might be a problem, Kansas homeowners are advised to contact the NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) via FEMA to inquire about purchasing what essentially amounts to a last ditch effort to minimize the impact on their homes when warm weather comes rolling in. While insurance purchased through the NFIP is not as cheap as that found in the private sector, it's still a far cry from being caught without any protection at all.

Of course, that doesn't mean you shouldn't do what you can to minimize the damage-both this year and next! There are a number of steps you can take to minimize the impact that this winter flooding is going to have on your home. Houses in the Northeast have been doing it for years! Be sure your windows are double paned and insulated well enough that water rushing past them will not be able to seep through the cracks. Wood is vulnerable to flooding, which is why many houses in northern areas prefer brick or rock foundations instead.

If possible, raise your foundation above the flood area-keeping windstorms in mind, of course. Keep your gutters clear to allow water to flow smoothly from the roof rather than through your walls! Gutter guards will help stop your gutters from clogging and direct the water flow away from your home.

If you have an attic, it's a prime threat for winter flooding. Why? Because heat from the attic escapes and causes the snow on the roof to melt, then refreeze, a cycle that repeats itself until there's so much weight on your roof that it all comes tumbling down. Check the insulation in your walls, and consider installing sheets of plastic to keep water out of your basement if the threat seems too severe.

You're far from helpless to protect your home from winter flooding, but it's important that you take steps now to minimize the damage to your house and/or apartment and protect your property before the fluffy white you've been enjoying all winter turns into a cold, muddy rampage dead set on coming home for dinner.

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