Protect Your Manufactured Home from Flooding

This winter is shaping up to be among the wettest in recent memory, with seemingly every region of the country experiencing above-normal levels of precipitation. Massive snow-bearing bomb cyclones in the Midwest and Northeast, tropical storms drenching the Gulf states, atmospheric rivers deluging the West Coast – the past few months have clearly demonstrated that climate change not only increases the planet’s temperature but also the amount of rain and snow we are likely to receive.

This above-normal precipitation cannot help but increase the likelihood of localized flooding, no matter where you live or time of year. This should be of particular concern to owners of manufactured housing which, by its very nature, is more susceptible to being swept away by raging waters than traditional homes. Here are a few constructive steps you can take to minimize that risk, both this winter and in the years to come.

Risk Evaluation: The first step in flood protection is to determine how likely you are to suffer a flood and how well your home is prepared to withstand it. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has online maps covering your area’s general flood risk and such relevant structures as bridges, dams and levees. After locating the relevant map, make sure to note the year it was made – some are  outdated and cannot accurately reflect the current flood risk.

Take Out Some Insurance: Once you determine there is a substantial flood risk, the next step is to contact a flood insurance agent to determine your home’s specific flood level – that is, the height to which waters could rise as a result of flooding. Ideally, homes should be built above this level. Armed with this information, work with your agent to purchase the proper flood insurance either through the National Flood Insurance Program or as an addendum to your existing homeowner’s policy.

Prioritize Renovations: It’s vital that owners of manufactured homes stay current on repairs and renovations and that to-do list must include steps to reduce potential flood damage. These can include raising your home on stilts or piers; installing foundation vents or a sump pump; applying coatings and sealings to your foundation, walls, windows and doorways to help prevent flood water from leaking into the house; installing check valves on pipes to prevent a flooded sewage system from backing up; grading your lawn away from the house so that surface runoff empties into an appropriate place; leaving space between mulch and siding so that the base of your house can completely dry after rainstorms; and pointing your downspouts away from your home so water cannot pool at the corners of your house.

Deadly Combination: It’s should be no shock to learn that water and electricity don’t play well together.  To minimize their combined risk in the case of a flood, make sure all your home’s outlets, switches, sockets and circuit breakers are at least one foot above flood level. In addition, you should protect your home’s internal and external appliances by raising them above the flood level. This can be done fairly inexpensively by placing them on concrete blocks.

At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.