Buying a house in the Houston area can be overwhelming. Living near the coast can cause some house problems when it comes to flooding, but there is something we can do to help prevent that. It is important that you know the flooding risk of the area in which you live. You should have preparations done to your home, such as a flood control system. Also by contacting your flood insurance agent for any additional recommendations to protect your home. Most home insurances do not offer flood insurance, and that is why living in Houston, some people may make flood insurance mandatory.

The first step to protecting your home from flooding is to determine how likely your foundation will suffer from a flood, as well as the structure of your home. The FEMA Flood Map will show you the general flood risk for your area. Just type in your address and your neighborhood zone will pop up with flood risk information. Be sure to check the year when the map was made as some maps are really outdated. If it is more than a couple of years old, do more research on flood risk in that area. There are four different flood zones that you should be aware of.

  • Blue zones with Red Stripes show regular floodways. These areas often include a body of water such as a river or lake which will cause a greater chance of flooding. If your home is in this area, take extra precautions with your flood insurance agent to protect your home.
  • Yellow zones are undetermined flood areas. Meaning that you may have to do some extra research and have discussions with your neighbors about how much flooding they have seen during their time in that location.
  • Orange zones have a 0.2% annual flood chance, some only seeing floods every 500 years. Since this area has a low risk of flooding, your flood insurance rates should be lower than if you were living in a blue zone.
  • Blue zone is considered to be the highest risk zone. Even though the annual chance is only 1%, they are likely to see a flood every 100 years. If your home is in a blue zone, you should flood-proof your home if it isn’t already.

According to FEMA, flooding can damage homes up to $25,000 with just an inch of water inside the house and that is why the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) exists. With this program, FEMA also reports that up to twenty percent of flood insurance claims come from places that are low-risk zones, but near big bodies of water. 

Flood Prevention

It may be in your best interest to lift your home’s foundation. By doing this it can make your house more stable and even save the foundation when a flood comes. Once your house is flooded, it can cause your foundation to weaken. A number one reason to lift your house is to avoid future repeated costs. For example, when a flood comes it will change the way your foundation sits and how your house looks. Not only is repairing your house over and over again hard on your bank account, but it is also not good for your home’s structure. 

The price to lift your house can be scary, but it is worth it 100%! The bigger your house is the more expensive it will be. The price can also go up if you decide to lift your house enough for another story. This is because sealing the lower level adds time and other costs. Allied provides house lifting services as well as free estimates. Give us a call and we will let you know if it is the right thing for you.

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