Taking care of your properties during a flood (Houston: wood floors, insurance)

[wilshu]

I am moving to Houston and I’m worried about the flooding in Houston! Can the people on this forum tell me how you guys take care of your properties during a flood?


Will house be damage with mold?
Will you have to relocate?
Can the house be clean up “FIX”?


Also if you had flood insurance what will the insurance companies do? Will they give you money that will cover the cost to clean? If the house is completely Damage what will the insurance company DO?


thanks

[Poltracker]

First and foremost, find a house that doesn't flood. Most houses in Houston do not flood. Most of the rest only flood during extenuating circumstances. There are a few, however, that flood at the drop of a hat. Houston is the bayou city and there is a reason for that, bayous and flood control ditches everywhere. Most of the time only streets flood but they are designed to do just that. They are designed to act as secondary flood containment to keep water from getting into businesses and homes.

If by some chance you end up in an area that gets 10+ inches of rain in 2 hours (and it does happen occasionally; 28 to 36+ inches in 8 hours in the case of Allison) it always good to have flood insurance. If your house gets flooded, you rip out all the carpet immediately, cut out sheetrock up to the flood line if it gets soaked, wash and decon everything with bleach and go from there. Your insurance company should help. Wood floors may need to be replaced and cabinetry and furniture as well depending on the extent of flooding. If it is real bad, your house may get totaled (rare). If you act quickly, mold is generally not a problem. If you sit around and wring your hands, mold will be a problem.

[Bike4Life]

You can Google up the revised Harris County flood zone at Harris County / Houston Texas Flood Zone Map (broken link) and check out Harris County Flood Control District - Flood Insurance to make a decisions. Personally, I laugh when I read flood concerns because my home survived the 500 year flood plan.