Nature is beautiful, but a few times during the year it turns against mankind wreaking havoc with natural disasters like flooding. When the rainy season kicks in, we’re happy because we can finally plant a flower garden and the tropical temperatures cool down a bit. Flooding is however a major concern especially in countries like Ghana where drainage is not the best.

Here are a few precautions to take before and during the floods-prone season to make sure your house and family are not adversely affected.

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1. Clear gutters and drains:

Choked gutters and water passages mean excess rainwater cannot flow away from your house freely.

~ Property water flow: Study the water flow patterns around your home. Does the area seem to be clayey and always have large puddles of water or a steady, moving stream? This is important to note so you can plan accordingly before flooding has a chance.

~ Dry proofing: Purchase and apply special sealant coating to exterior walls of the property to keep them from absorbing water and letting water into the home.

~ Roof protection: Leaky roofs are very annoying; wetting the floor and your furniture and causing smelly odors and potential slips. Speak with a roofing specialist who can insert rubber underlays beneath your roofing tiles/sheets. This will serve as a waterproof barrier to keep rain out.

~ Take action: If a heavy rain hits and flooding has not been avoided, don’t panic. Spring into action! Bad flooding might mean there is water inside the house. Immediately shut off your electricity from the main power source and move all furniture, rugs and other valuables to higher levels to avoid electrocution and property damage.

~ Flood evacuation plan: Way before the floods, assemble a flood kit (money, change of clothes, flashlight, passport/ID, handy phone numbers, etc) and come to agreement with your family on an emergency exit plan so that you can quickly grab what’s needed and head out before things worsen.

~ Flood insurance: Most home insurance plans may not cover floods. Sometimes you need to have an additional policy for flood protection. When you first move into your house, if you know your area to be prone to flooding, it’s a good idea to consider flood insurance so that any damage caused by the disaster, can be covered by your insurance company. Our Accra Housing Guide offers some insight into homeowners insurance.

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When disaster hits it’s easy to get flustered and make the wrong decisions. In the case of flooding, prevention is better than cure. Apply these pre-rainy season prep tips and you and your family should be fine. Are there some other ways you’ve found very effective to prevent loss and damage in a flood? Share with us in the comments below.