In the event of an alert, your first instinct is to stay informed and listen to the authorities’ instructions in the media and on social networks, in particular by following the accounts. Vigicrues and Meteo France (also available on mobile).
Your car
-
Postpone your trips, especially if you have to go to flooded areas
-
Park it in a place away from watercourses, avoiding any site that could be invaded by water (banks and underground parking lots). Less than 30 cm of water is enough to carry a car in a flood.
Your accommodation
-
Elevate everything you can: furniture, appliances … If you cannot protect everything, use plastic boxes to insulate the feet of furniture from water, and wrap precious objects or furniture in plastic sheeting.
-
As a precaution, unplug all electrical appliances.
-
Place toxic elements (pesticides, insecticides, etc.) high up to avoid any dangerous pollution.
-
Protect your important documents (family record book, health record, identity documents, payment documents, notarial deeds, precious jewelry, invoices (especially for your large household appliances)
-
Caulk slits in all openings (around ground floor windows as well as the bottoms of exterior doors), place sand / soil bags in front of doors to try and keep water from getting inside .
-
Only turn off the power if there is no water nearby.
-
If you have time, take photos of the exterior and interior of your home: this can be useful later to estimate the damage.
-
When your home has several floors, set up a fallback area on the upper floor, and collect a survival kit there.
Prepare a safety kit
In the event of a flood, consider putting together a safety kit, which must be placed in an easily accessible place in order to be able to retrieve it as quickly as possible. There can be :
-
a battery-powered radio,
-
a flashlight with spare batteries,
-
candles, lighters or matches,
-
non-perishable food and drinking water,
-
medication,
-
emergency glasses,
-
warm clothes,
-
double the keys,
-
a copy of your identity papers,
-
a first aid kit,
-
cash,
-
a mobile phone charger,
-
baby items and pet food.
-
warm clothes, boots, one survival blanket per person.
-
an inflatable mattress to rest a little.
Also remember to shelter the necessary equipment for cleaning when the water recedes (mop, rubber squeegee, brooms, etc.)
More information on the guarantees and services of our Car Insurance and our Home Insurance.
–
