When's the Best Time to Get Flood-Ready? Let's Dive In!

February 14th, 2024 5 minute read

Hey there, homeowners! You know what they say: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Well, when it comes to getting flood-ready, truer words were never spoken. So, let's talk about when the right time is to start thinking about floodproofing your place.

Assessing Your Flood Risk

First things first, get to know your flood risk. Is your home located in a flood-prone area?

Assessing the flood risk of your house is a crucial step in becoming flood-ready. Here's a simple guide to help you get started:

Check FEMA's Flood Map Service Center: FEMA provides flood maps that outline flood zones and potential risks in your area. You can input your address into their online tool to see if your property is in a flood-prone zone.
Contact your local emergency management office: Reach out to your local emergency management office or floodplain manager. They can provide valuable information about historical flooding in your area, recent flood events, and any flood mitigation measures in place.
Consider local geography and climate. Take note of your surroundings. Are you near bodies of water like rivers, lakes, or coastal areas? Is your area prone to heavy rainfall or snowmelt? Understanding your local geography and climate patterns can give you insights into potential flood risks and help you get flood-ready on time.
Consult with Neighbors or Community Members: Sometimes, the best information comes from those who have experienced floods firsthand. Talk to your neighbors or other community members who have lived in the area for a while. They may share valuable insights and experiences about past flood events.
Hire a Professional Flood Risk Assessor: If you want a comprehensive assessment tailored to your property, consider hiring a professional flood risk assessor. They can conduct a thorough evaluation, taking into account factors like elevation, drainage systems, and building construction.

Choosing Your Floodproofing Measures

Once you've got the lay of the land, it's time to start thinking about floodproofing measures. This could be anything from elevating your home, sealing up cracks and leaks, installing flood barriers or flood vents, or even just making sure your gutters are clear of debris. Every little bit helps! But first things first.

Here's how to make the right flood-ready decisions:

Assess Your Specific Needs: Every home is unique, so it's essential to assess your property's vulnerabilities and flood risk factors. Consider factors such as the location of your home, its elevation, the surrounding landscape, and previous flood experiences in your area.
Research Floodproofing Options: There are various floodproofing measures available, from simple DIY flood-ready solutions to more complex, professional installations. Research different options, such as elevating your home, installing flood barriers or flood vents, waterproofing your basement, or landscaping to improve drainage.
Consult with experts: When in doubt, seek advice from floodproofing experts. They can provide valuable insights into which measures are most suitable for your specific situation. Consider consulting with a floodplain manager, structural engineer, or certified floodproofing contractor to get professional recommendations.
Consider Cost and Long-Term Maintenance: Factor in the cost of floodproofing measures, including installation, maintenance, and potential insurance savings. Choose flood-ready solutions that fit within your budget and are sustainable for the long term. Remember that investing in floodproofing now can save you significant expenses and headaches in the event of a flood.
Prioritize Effectiveness and Reliability: Ultimately, prioritize floodproofing measures that are proven to be effective and reliable. Look for products and techniques that have been tested and certified for flood resistance. Consider the level of protection they offer and how they integrate with your existing home infrastructure.
Plan for Future Adaptation: Keep in mind that flood risks may change over time due to factors like climate change or urban development. Choose flood-ready measures that allow for flexibility and adaptation as needed. Stay informed about updates to building codes, floodplain regulations, and emerging technologies that could enhance your flood readiness.

Ongoing Maintenance and Updates to Keep Flood-Ready

Getting flood-ready isn't a one-and-done deal. It's an ongoing process. So, even if you've taken steps to floodproof your home in the past, it's important to revisit your plan regularly and make updates as needed. After all, things change—maybe your area's flood risk has increased, or perhaps there are new flood-ready technologies or methods available that could better protect your home.

Consider flood barriers—a flood-ready solution that does not require much planning.

Let's talk about a game-changer in floodproofing: flood barriers. These nifty devices can be installed and removed in a matter of several minutes without requiring any professional skills or fancy tools. Picture this: when a flood warning pops up, you simply grab your flood barriers, set them up where needed, and voila—instant protection for your home.

Flood Barrier Door Dam - Ultimate Flood Gate

$899.99

DAM EASY® FLOOD GATE - DOOR DAM Floods are becoming more common around the world. What was once a 100-year phenomenon is now a seasonal trend that homeowners must deal with. That’s EXACTLY why you need this Dam Easy Flood… Read More

The beauty of flood barriers is that they don't require much planning or preparation. You can store them in your garage or basement until the next flooding event, keeping them out of sight and out of mind until you need them again. With flood barriers, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that you have a reliable and hassle-free solution to keep water out of your home when it matters most.

Want to learn more about making your house flood-ready without wasting your time, money, and energy? Contact Dam Easy today!

Our professionals will be happy to answer all your questions, help you understand the flood risks you are facing, and make informed decisions about floodproofing your property.

Florida residents can invite one of our professional teams directly to their house and get a qualified consultation in person. However, we do deliver worldwide and are available to you 24/7. Send us a message, use our calculator to estimate how many flood barriers you may need for your house, and don`t hesitate to contact us with any questions or doubts you may have.

We are always here for you because being flood-ready is Dam Easy!

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A Christmas Miracle

This thing is excellent and the company has the best support. Last year Poseidon thought it would be funny to flood our home in the NY hudson valley with a 5.5' tidal surge on Christmas eve. Fortunately I had been following the forecast and had purchased the Dam Easy barrier a month prior.

I had installed the barrier the night before in preparation and awoke to find 18"+ of water up the side of my house and the barrier. Over the next 2-3 hours the the Dam Easy barrier worked perfectly in keeping the water from our basement and saved our Christmas. A true miracle!

As the tide subsided and our Dam Easy-less neighbors were pumped dry, a member of our local fire department asked if we needed our basement pumped out. I'm pretty sure he didn't believe me when I told him we were fine (likely thinking we were hiding a meth lab or something).

I now keep my barrier ready with spare seals on hand just in case we experience a similar surge. Top marks Dam Easy!

Flood protection

I have the Dameasy flood barriers for the past 5 years. I have put them up on several occasions, but fortunately we did not need them. On 13/11/23 for Storm Debi they went up again and on this occasion they definitely proved their worth. Without the Dameasy flood barriers, we would have been flooded. Best money ever spent.

Quick Delivery / Quick Install

I have installed the new seal on my Barrier. It was extremely easy to install. I then stored the product "ready to go" and hope to never need it!! The barrier, btw, worked amazingly well - held back 2 feet of water...

I bought more ( :

After these barriers proved effective in my single door openings, I bought more and connector poles to cover a 100" opening. We also raised the clothes dryer vents to 48" and filled the old openings with concrete.
Now, my 1950 Brick Bunker is protected within minutes, and my friends say they're stylish, too. Thank you DamEasy Flood Barriers. We keep them under our beds.

Sleeping Better during Hurricane Season

I live in North East Florida on the Intracoastal Waterway. We flooded 5 years ago during Hurricane Irma. Every year during mid-summer we start watching the Hurricane Tracker app to monitor potential storms. We typically don’t schedule extended vacations during September and October during peak hurricane season. In 2022, we had two potential flood events where water rose above our seawall. While thankfully we did not flood, it was a very stressful situation. We needed a solution to eliminate / minimize flooding.

In November, I spent countless hours online searching for solutions to prevent flooding. I reviewed numerous publications on how to flood proof your home, including FEMA’s “Homeowner’s Guide to Retrofitting” and, countless online reviews for all types of products.

My considerations for purchase were: 1) component quality of product, 2) potential effectiveness, 3) ease of use, 4) top rated reviews, and 5) cost.

Based on these criteria I selected DamEasy flood barriers. I used the online calculator to determine the number of barriers and extension poles required. For our rear doors I emailed DamEasy photos to get an expert recommendation since I had raised stucco foam trim around some doors and was concerned about the structural integrity. To my surprise I received a phone call the next day from Chris at DamEasy. He said they would be in my area and would it be okay if they come over the house and personally view exactly what was needed.

During Chris’s visit I purchased flood barriers and extension poles to protect all 6 openings on my house. I needed some additional cement / stucco work to further protect my house and install the extension pole base sockets. Chris recommended a local contractor that was working with DamEasy in North Florida. I hired them and their work product was amazing and it was done at a reasonable price.

In my opinion DamEasy has a high quality product with great customer service. While we still get uneasy when a new tropical disturbance is announced, we feel more at ease with the DamEasy flood barriers. Hopefully we will never have to use the flood barriers, but we know we have an added level of protection – which is simply DamEasy.

Thank God for Damn Easy!

Our home in St Augustine flooded twice last year. And while insurance covered the majority of repairs, after dealing with all the bs and nearly a full year of contractors, dry wall guys and big box stores, I was looking for some kind of flood mitigation system that wasn't too expensive or ridiculous to install. After reviewing several different options – including what amounted to a giant rubber donut placed around my house – I was really confused. Everything seemed so expensive and crazy to install that I basically gave up until I noticed a neighbor had purchased a system from a company called DamnEasy Flood Barriers. Interested, I set up an appointment with their sales guy and was pleasantly surprised to see their system was not only super easy to install, but also reasonably priced. As a guy who flunked wood shop – twice – I was hesitant at first because this kind of thing is out of my lease, but when I saw and felt the DamnEasy product I was convinced it could work. At 44 pounds – and with adjustable wings – the DamnEasy barrier fit snuggly in my doorway within a matter of minutes. Even my wife was surprised how easy it was for her to install the system. We even showed a neighbor how to do it in case we weren’t in town when a flood hit, and he had the whole system – 4 door barriers and a chain of barriers for our garage – up in less than 15 minutes. And while there was about 4 feet on the side of my house where we needed to install a small concrete wall, the DamnEasy guys even helped with that, utilizing their local contractor to get the job done in a day or two. And while it sounds a little crazy, I’m actually anticipating our next flood so I can see how well the system works (and I have every reason to believe it will). Even betterl, the DamnEasy system costs me less than half of the other systems I was investigating, none of which went up as easily or seemed seems as sturdy. No special tools or crazy retrofitting – the system was ready to install the moment it was delivered. Not sure how much easier it can get but would recommend DamnEasy to anyone looking to avoid the hassles of even a minor flood (which caused us over $150k in damage.)

Saved twice in 2022

St Augustine, Florida. In October and also November 2022 My home was protected by Dam Easy barriers. My tenant installed them in minutes, to hold back what he described as 11-15 inches of water. 100% effective.
See the picture of my home after Hurricaine Nicole. This was taken by a neighbor directly across the street. I did not have coverage for the french doors as shown, but the main part of the house was dry.

Great product and service!

Irma in 2017 filled our garage and front door with river water in our home in Jacksonville Fl. Clean up was miserable and it caused quite a bit of damage. Determined not to have that happen again, I found this ingenious product. They are pricy but not nearly as expensive as flood damage. I bought three of them and a post in June. When Ian started heading our way I headed to Jax to get them in place. The roiling river in the picture is high tide as Ian passed. Thankfully it did not rush through our garage door that faces it like it did during Irma. Two days before Ian hit I got a text from Chris at Dam Easy asking me if I needed any help installing the barrier before Ian got here! Who does that??? The instructions are great and the installation easy. I had to drill a hole in the concrete for the post in garage door entrance and epoxy its base. A bit of work but it is a solid, secure installation. Post and base are well made. I had a slight issue with one of the seals not holding pressure but there is an extra one included and they are very easy to replace. Again Chris was there for me if I needed him. He even called me from Ireland the next day to make sure everything was ok!! I never installed the front door dam because thankfully the river never got to the house. But I was confident that I could quickly put it in place if the river approached after seeing how easy it was to install the garage door barriers. While thankfully Ian never pushed the river to the house, I have absolutely no doubt these would have held. Very solid and well designed product. And the guys at Dam Easy are great! If you are anywhere subject to rapid flooding I highly recommend this product and the the folks at Dam Easy.

Great Product, Great Service, Great Company

We suffered very significant flood damage (over 1.5 ft of water in our house and over $230K in damage) from Hurricane Id'a in the fall of 2021. Oh, how we wish we had known about Dam Easy's flood barriers before then. We have had 2 other significant flooding instances since we acquired and installed the DamEasy barriers in front of our garage doors and we haven't gotten a drop of water inside our garage or house! They are extremely easy to put up and take down - the only real effort that may require some assistance (as was the case with us) is the installation of the sockets for the extension poles. I not only highly recommend these barriers, but I also highly recommend the company itself. Their Customer Service is amongst the very best I have ever dealt with. They answered every question I had and went the extra mile in making certain I was getting the very best from their product. Given this level of customer service and what is at stake regarding the cost these days of damage due to flooding, an investment in these barriers is a tremendous deal.

Perfect solution for our problem

We purchased our home on the edge of a golf course with a creek nearby. It seemed like a perfect place to spend our retirement years. This is until the following year we experienced heavy rains that produced a flood that did $60,000 in damages to our home and months of haggling with our insurer. We needed a solution because we did not want to go through this trauma again. As we looked we found options but none that we could physically handle at our golden year age until we found DAM EASY FLOOD GATES. The Dam Easy support team advised us through the installation process which we did with some help from our son. A little over a year later we had another flood which was more severe than the previous flood.... we came out bone dry... thanks Dam Easy for your product.... Roy and Barbara Beebe...

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