As you begin thinking about how to protect your business property, don’t forget about the potential damage from floods. While rainstorms, natural disasters, and water line breaks that cause floods might not be preventable, you can still act to help reduce the flood damage you experience. You definitely still want business insurance protection, but also work to reduce or eliminate as much flood damage as you can.
Install a Sump Pump
If your business property has a basement, it is recommended that you have a sump pump installed. The sump pump takes excess water in the basement and discharges the water outside of your property with a hose. This can be helpful in the event a flood occurs, because it may decrease how much water you end up with in the basement or bottom floor of your home. If you already have a sump pump, make sure to have it inspected regularly, at least once a year, to be sure it is in good working order.
Keep Valuables on the Top Floor
If you have any type of valuables, paperwork, or electronic equipment that could easily be damaged by water, make sure you keep it on the top floor of your building. It is common for some business buildings to keep their IT department and network equipment near one of the bottom floors, but try to avoid this if you can. You really need to keep electronics from the ground floor where floods are going to hit the worst.
Keep Hazardous Materials at a Higher Level
Another thing that should be kept at a higher level in your business property is anything that could be hazardous to others. This includes cleaning supplies, oil, paint, and toxic materials. In a flood, they could spill or get transferred to other areas of your business. You need to keep them locked up in a cabinet that is not only fire-proof but safe from potential floods as well. Keep them off the ground, and preferably on a higher level of your business property.
What to Do After a Flood
It is also important to know what you should do after a flood has occurred. By acting fast, you can still save a lot of your business property from being damaged by the flood. The first thing you always want to do is disconnect electronics if you can get to them safely. Never stand in water and touch electronics, but if they are on a dry level of the property, disconnect them and turn off the power to your building if you can do so safely.
Next, you will need to figure out how to get rid of any standing water. It is recommended that you hire a professional for this, since it can be dangerous. Once the water is out, act fast to start cleaning up and getting everything as dry as possible. When you can safely do so, move things above water level and let them dry out to hopefully avoid mold and mildew.
Have Proper Business Insurance
Lastly, make sure you have a good business insurance portfolio. This would help alleviate losses as the result of flood damage. You should have a good business property insurance policy, as well as additional coverage for flood damage.
