HOUSE MIGHT FLOOD - need tips and advice please!

[FlowerTomb]

I'm in France, loads of rain for the past few days and now the village is flooding with water getting closer and closer to our house. Canals and rivers have overflowed. We are 10 mins from the beach so all water is passing through here. Garage is starting to flood as there's a drain in there and water is coming up from it.

Things we've done:

• Put a wooden barrier at the front door (everyone in our area has these, they're the norm) and plastered it into place, although the plaster hasn't dried due to the rain.
• Put a large plastic sheet over the top of the barrier and secured it against the wall with cement blocks.
• Stuffed the area between the barrier and the front door with towels and sheets.
• Also stuffed sheets and towels along the floor on the inside of the front door in the house. Will do the same for any other doors.
• Moved important possessions upstairs.

What else can we do? Any and all tips welcome, we've just finished renovating (did everything ourselves) and I'll be damned if any water gets in.

You have done the right things but you can’t really stop the water getting in if the levels are high enough.
It will come through the stone/brick and up under the floor. It’ll find a way.
Anything electrical, valuable, rotable needs to be off the floor.
Get your insurance documents ready just in case. A stuff brush will buy you some time if you have tiles or similar as flooring.
Good luck

Order yourself a dehumidifier online fairly promptly - you will need one to dry out the garage etc and they are hard to get hold off when everyone has been flooded

There’s very little you can do other than move as much as you can to a higher level and ensure you have all of your insurance documents to hand

Will get paperwork safe, also have a bag ready in case we're asked to evacuate. Don't think I'll sleep tonight :(

Move whatever you possibly can off the floor. Small pieces of furniture on top of large, immovable ones.

Have you got sand bags? They will help a bit. Also move everything precious and as much furniture etc. As ypu can upstairs or as high up as you can if you don't have an upstairs.

Unfortunately there really isn't much more you can do my house flooded 2 years ago and it was about 2 foot deep at the front door, once it started coming through there wasn't anything we could do to stop it, we weren't expecting it though (area had never flooded before) so didn't have any protections in place. Fingers crossed for you.

No sand bags, none to be found anywhere leading up to the bad weather and now can't leave the house. I was expecting our town hall to have some and hand them out to the houses at most risk but sadly hasn't happened.

Sorry you got flooded @Sidhdbej it's very scary. We came close a couple of years ago and it was awful, I just really hope it doesn't happen, we've worked so hard to make our house beautiful!

Do you have a car? Have you moved it to higher ground? If not, and there’s somewhere nearby with a hill you can get to, then move it.

I would also move as much loose stuff off the floor and off low shelving as possible, so that if water does get in it doesn't ruin the stuff but also you don't have loads of bits and bobs floating around getting in the way and blocking things up.

Obviously don’t put yourself at risk, but we were flooded a few years back and the neighbour’s car was ruined, whereas we’d driven ours to slightly higher ground nearby and it was fine.

Yep moved the car last night so that's all fine, even if the village floods badly the water won't reach much of that car park.

Have also moved lots of little bits and bobs.

It's quite scary, all of the villages round here have a flood siren/alarm and it really catches you off guard and goes on for ages, it's awful to hear.

If it comes in the house be careful with anything the water touches, flood water will be contaminated with raw sewage.

Oh wow hadn't even thought of that @viques What do you mean by be careful? As in I shouldn't touch anything and then rub my eye for example?

Roll up any carpets and put upstairs. Same with rugs, mats etc.

As much as possible upstairs.

Stuff like cookers, if you can lift put up on to crates or stools.

Empty lower cupboards.

Good luck to you OP. Horrible watching knowing there's nothing you can do.

Have you pets or children? If they can't go elsewhere, find a way to keep them safe/contained/occupied upstairs. Charge devices in case your electric shorts.
It is might 'only' be a small bit of water, you could chock big bitsmof furniture up on bricks.

And make sure you have plenty of drinking water stashed, in case the supply goes off or is contaminated.

Oh and take photos around your house now, as they could help with an insurance claim.

Every upstairs if you can, on bricks on non movable furniture if on ground floor, bag ready to go with anything really important

Do you have torches/ candles in case power goes off? Charge phones to 100%. If you have small dog/ cats crate them upstairs if possible.
I’m afraid the water will be dirty and probably sewage contaminated so have containers filled with clean water for drinking and washing.
I’ll keep everything crossed that you get off lightly. Flooding is horrible, I feel for you.

Have you got a flood plan? Think about where you might go if the water gets in, what you need to take with you, how to turn off utilities. Move anything you can up high esp if it's sentimental so photos etc (I see you've already done this but worth another check) You can move furniture off the flood using pans etc which helps if you only get a few inches.

Make a note of all important phone numbers. Charge portable batteries. Store some clean tap water in your bath or buckets.

Sandbags are not effective in keeping water out so you are better off spending time planning and moving stuff.

Things you might take with you depend on whether you have to go to a evacuation centre or can go to relatives or friends but consider phones, chargers, snack food and water, warm clothes, medication, passports, copies of insurance etc

What is your source of info for water levels? In the UK we have flood warnings, in the Netherlands they have a website with levels, but I don't know about France I'm afraid.

You've probably done obvious things like chairs on top of tables and then tables up on plastic boxes or pans.

Check your garden too for anything that may float away if not enclosed.

Unplug electricals downstairs and put cables up high.

This is based on UK but might help thefloodhub.co.uk/household/#household-flood-plan

Crates/ bricks under anything which cannot be easily moved (cooker, fridge)

ALL furniture upstairs

Roll up ALL downstairs carpets and take upstairs

Order a dehumidifier asap

I don't know how many of you are in the household but if you camp out squished in one room (providing you have more than one room) then any other rooms can be carefully packed with all your things

Emergency evacuation bags ready (you said you've done this)

Car on higher ground you've already done

I don't think there's honestly much else you can do at that point except to check on any elderly or less able neighbours

And afterwards, if it does come in, remember it will be dirty water so useful to have a cleaning kit. You also won't be able to turn electrics back on until checked. Good luck OP

Look at public health England flooding advice for how to clean after flood water and how to stay safe.
You've had lots of good advice about moving things. Just wishing you lots of luck