Protect your basement from flooding: quick tips

Severe weather has prompted flood watches and warnings across the Grand River Watershed and experts warn instances of flooding – already on the rise in Canada – are likely to increase in coming years as a result of climate change.

The Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at University of Waterloo has developed a three-step guide for cost-effective home flood prevention.

Kathryn Bakos, director of climate finance and science at the centre, told CTV Kitchener most of the 15 recommendations detailed in the document could be accomplished in a long weekend and will "drastically reduce your risk of basement flooding."

Bakos said insurance claims due "catostrophic loss" caused extreme weather totalled between $250 million and $450 million per year from 1983 to 2008 in Canada. But between 2009 and 2021 catostrophic loss claims jumped to average $2 billion per year.

"There is a descernable upward trend in losses that is occuring because of extreme weather," she said, adding flooding accounts for around half of catostrophic loss claims.

Aside from individual measures home owners can take to protect their homes from flooding, Bakos and her colleagues want to see a co-ordinated effort from govenrments and industry to limit flood risks.

SWEEP LEAVES AND DEBRIS AWAY FROM SEWER GRATES

If water is not able to properly drain, it will go into the lowest possible place which is likely to be someone's basement, explained Bakos. Ensuring leaves and debris are not covering storm drains is essential to preventing flooding.

INSTALL WINDOW WELL COVERS

Water from excessive rainfall or melt can easily make its way into ground-level window wells and cause leakage. Bakos said clear plastic coverings available for around $20 at most hardware stores will protect against leakage.

EXTEND DOWNSPOUTS OF EVESTROUGH

Ensure your downspout doesn't release water right at the edge of your home and instead extends at least two metres from the home's foundation.

REMOVE OBSTRUCTIONS FROM FLOOR DRAINS

Bakos said all homes have a drain in the basement floor, but in the majority of homes surveyed in a recent study by The Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, that drain was covered by boxes or tiled over. The drain can usually be found near your furnace. Make sure it's clear.

3 Steps to Home Flood Protection by the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation