Flood Prevention Tips for Northeast Ohio Homes


You cannot completely eliminate flood risk, but you can reduce the chance of water entering a home and limit damage when it does. Start with drainage, gutters and downspouts, foundation openings, sump-pump maintenance, appliance supply lines and a clear plan for shutting off water.

If flooding is happening now, stay out of standing water when electricity or sewage may be involved. Follow evacuation and road-closure instructions from local officials. Never drive through floodwater. If it is safe, shut off the water source and photograph visible damage from a safe area.

This guide provides general education, not a property-specific engineering or floodplain determination. Use FEMA’s homeowner flood-risk guidance and local emergency or stormwater resources for the property.

  • Start With Drainage Around Your Home

    Homeowners and commercial policies vary, and flood coverage may require a separate policy. Ask a licensed insurance agent what the policy covers, what documentation is required and whether National Flood Insurance Program coverage is appropriate. The insurer and policy control coverage and payment decisions.

    In addition to purchasing flood insurance, there are some ways the outside of your property can help with flood prevention and help you avoid the need for water damage cleanup and restoration. 

    Let’s review a few methods for how to prevent your home from flooding. 

    Tips for Building A
    Flood-Resistant Home

    When building a home, elevation, and location are your two best tools for improving flood resistance. Ensuring your home is sufficiently elevated and built back from river channels and shorelines is an excellent first step in safeguarding your home against potential flood waters. In many flood-prone areas, local building codes and standards may already require new construction homes to be raised above specific flood levels. 

    Landscaping can be another key strategy when considering strategies to help prevent your home from flooding. Yards should be properly graded to allow water to drain away from your house and foundation. Plants, trees, and shrubs should also be installed to absorb more water, minimize runoff, and reduce erosion. 

    Mature trees and group plantings are particularly beneficial because more extensive and established root systems are better for promoting drainage. Even if your new home is not in a high-risk flood area, you can, and should, design and utilize landscaping to drain water away from your house.

    Tips for Protecting Your Existing Home from Flood Damage

    Following the same landscaping recommendations for homes that are already built can ensure the exterior of your house will be the first line of defense against flooding. Some important exterior property maintenance tasks should be done regularly to deter water from leaking into your home, these include:

    • Windows and doors. Check for cracks and gaps and seal them. Remember to check the weatherstripping regularly because it can warp or deteriorate over time. 
    • Roof. Inspect your roof for missing or broken shingles. If you are worried or suspect any problems, contact a qualified roofing company to conduct a full roof inspection. Take care of any roofing issues right away.
    • Downspouts and Gutters. Ensure downspouts, gutters, and gutter guards are free of debris and aimed away from the house, so water can drain easily and be directed away from the foundation of your home. Add downspout extensions if water is pooling right next to your foundation.

  • Check Official Flood and Stormwater Resources

    Flood risk, drainage systems and emergency instructions vary by community. Use the official source for the property before making a floodplain, drainage or evacuation decision.

Tips to Prevent Flooding
Inside Your Home

When considering how to protect the interior of your home, it is largely about minimizing the damage that can be caused if or when flooding occurs. Here are a few strategies to take to help prevent flooding inside your home.

Utilities, Appliances, and Sump Pumps

A qualified floodplain, building or electrical professional can help determine whether and how utilities should be elevated for a specific property. Do not rely on a universal height because flood elevation, equipment and local requirements vary.

Install a sump pump. Sump pumps are often added or upgraded in existing homes after a basement experiences flooding. If you’re building a new home, however, installing a sump pump from the start is a proactive way to prepare for and help prevent any future flooding in the basement. If you live in an area prone to flooding, it may be worth considering a backup pump system and/or generator to keep the pump running as well.

Flooring, Basements, and Other Concerns

  • Flooring. If you have a finished basement, consider tile floors or finishing the concrete instead of adding wood floors or carpets. For homes on a slab, or for the first floor, consider replacing carpeting with tile.
  • Reseal and waterproof the unfinished basements. Over time, cracks can develop in foundations or floor slabs, which can allow water to start leaking into a previously dry basement. Even cement floors and walls can deteriorate!
  • Inspect appliances. Appliances are a common culprit of plumbing-related floods. Inspect your appliances regularly to ensure there are no cracks or leaks. Check the hoses and supply lines of water heaters, dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerator ice makers, and any other appliances connected to water. 
  • Travel considerations. If you plan to be away, shut off the water supply while on vacation. If someone is staying at your home, be sure they know how to shut off the main water supply in case of emergency.

Minimize the Impact When a Flood is Imminent

When a flood event is due to occur in your area, a few steps can help to reduce the damage and impact of the flooding and minimize potential water infiltration into your home. In these situations, it’s not so much about flood prevention, but how to limit the extent of the problem: 

  • Securing yard items. If a flood is anticipated, secure items in the yard (benches, sheds, grills, etc.) in advance. This can help to prevent them from getting swept away, or from crashing into your home. 
  • Follow official instructions. Follow local emergency instructions first. Sandbags may reduce shallow water intrusion when they are selected, filled and placed correctly, but they cannot make a structure floodproof and should never delay an evacuation.
  • Fill in the gaps. Look for holes, cracks, or other small points of entry around the home. You’ll want to caulk up areas wherever you can. Check the seals and weatherstripping on your doors and windows, in case they need replacement.

A few last flood preparedness tips: you can lift the furniture off the floor to protect it as much as possible. Pack items in waterproof bins and place them on shelving that’s off the floor. Store any important items or documents off-site.

Your Home Has Flooded. Now What?

Keep people and pets out of the affected area if electricity, sewage, structural damage or contaminated floodwater may be involved. Follow local emergency instructions and do not drive through flooded roads. If it is safe, stop the water source, avoid wet electrical equipment and photograph visible conditions from a safe area.

1-800 WATER DAMAGE of Cleveland West provides 24/7 emergency restoration service, 7 days a week, throughout Cuyahoga, Lorain and Medina Counties. The team can inspect accessible areas, document visible conditions and explain the water removal, cleaning and structural-drying plan. Response, cleanup and drying times vary by location, weather, access, water source, affected materials and site conditions.

We can provide documentation and communicate with an insurer or adjuster when authorized. The insurer and policy determine coverage, limits and payment.

Learn more about our Flood Damage Cleanup and our main Water Damage Restoration services.

Need help now? Request Service from 1-800 WATER DAMAGE of Cleveland West.

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