Introductory segment from the LSU AgCenter "Ready for Rain" video with overview of flood damage reduction techniques.

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has requirements for repairs, remodeling and additions. This fact sheet provides recommendations for exceeding those minimum requirements and it lists opportunities for retrofitting in coastal flood hazard areas. SOURCE: Home Builder's Guide to Coastal Construction FEMA 499: Technical Fact Sheet 30.

In inland areas, experience has shown that floods damage areas of buildings not elevated above the flood level and destroy contents of those areas. In coastal areas, wave action causes even more damage, often destroying enclosed building areas below the flood level (and any building areas above the flood level that depend on the lower area for structural support). Source: Home Builder's Guide to Coastal Construction Technical Fact Sheet Series: Fact Sheet 4.

Our predecessors in Louisiana avoided floods by vacating the floodplains during flood season or by building their homes on higher ground and, even then, on piers.

Several communities in Louisiana have participated in federal grant programs for which on-site protection of private property is an eligible activity. These programs fund elevation or relocation of floodprone buildings, purchase of floodprone properties and, for non-residential buildings, dry floodproofing. Drainage improvements are also eligible.

Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) coverage provides up to $30,000 toward the cost of elevating, relocating or demolishing a building that is being required to come into compliance with the community’s flood damage prevention ordinances because it has been substantially damaged by a flood.

If you have a problem with rising water, there are six approaches you can take to preventing damage in future floods: elevate the building, block the water in the yard, seal the building, use materials that water won't hurt, and elevate appliances and systems.

If you protect a building with a floodwall, sealant, plastic wrap or any other barrier, you will need to pump water during floods.

Floodwalls and levees are self-supporting barriers to floodwater. They keep the building dry and protect it from, unequal water pressure on building walls, erosion at the foundation and damage by floating debris.

Installation of any of these back-flow valves below in an existing sewer line is dirty work, but not technically challenging. View a photographic sequence of installing a simple flap valve.

Sandbags can be used to fill gaps in a permanent protection system, to raise an existing levee or to build a complete emergency levee.

Most floodproofing systems have openings that need to be closed and watertight during a flood.

Elevation provides the best protection for flood damage, short of relocating the house to an area that is less prone to flooding. Raising a structure does not remove it from the special flood hazard area (SFHA); therefore, it does not exempt the owner or the mortgage company from flood insurance mandates.

There is an alternative to blocking the common sewer line. The alternative is to block each drain line where it enters your home - also known as the points of entry - using plugs and caps.

A back-flow valve in the common sewer line should allow sewer water to flow from the house to the sewer system, but prevent flow toward the house. To provide best protection from a flooded sewer system, the valve should provide a good seal and operate automatically.

Repetitive flooding affects thousands of Louisiana homes and businesses. In this publication and its companion videotape, a procedure to demonstrate a non-invasive method to flood proofing is explained as it was demonstrated by a Michigan contractor. Special attention is given to adapting the technology for use in Louisiana’s floodplains.

Elevating a building to prevent flood damage doesn't always mean picking up the entire structure. Explore these three ways to get the floor up.

The phrase “wet floodproofing” may sound like a contradiction, but it is the label used to refer to a collection of methods intended to reduce damage to a building when flooding occurs.

This is a picture gallery of different types of back-flow valves. Three are automatic and two are manual, requiring someone to be home to close them when floodwaters rise.

Sump pumps sit in the sump. "Trash" or "utility" pumps usually sit above water level and draw through an inlet hose.

A floodwall is a self-supporting barrier to floodwater. It may look like a garden wall or privacy fence, but it has more internal reinforcing and a more substantial foundation.

A levee is a barrier that holds water away from the building. It can protect your home from flooding as well as from the force of water, scour at the foundation and impacts of floating debris.

You can keep shallow flood water out of a slab-on-grade home using plastic sheeting supported by the wall of the building or on special stands away from the wall. This is an emergency protection measure that is more effective than using sandbags, but does require advance preparation.

Sealing a building so water will not enter is called dry floodproofing. The interior spaces, equipment and contents of the building stay dry.

Water-inflated tubing is a new and effective emergency method of closing a gap, temporarily raising the height of an existing levee or putting a barrier around a building.

Segment of the LSU AgCenter Ready for Rain video including the factors to be considered in making a decision to invest in protecting a home from future flood damage.

Wet floodproofing segment of the LSU AgCenter "Ready for Rain" video describing techniques for reducing damage to the home without attempting to keep water out of the building.

Segment from the LSU AgCenter "Ready for Rain" video showing details for preventing sewer backflow and using pumps in flood protection.

Segment of the LSU AgCenter "Ready for Rain" video describing construction of panels that can be used to block openings in barrier systems and to protect windows and doors in dry-floodproofed buildings.

Segment of the LSU AgCenter "Ready for Rain" video describing proper filling and use of sandbags and a variety of water-inflated barriers that can be used as temporary flood barriers.

Segment of the LSU AgCenter Ready for Rain video describing benefits and construction of privates levees and floodwalls.

Dry floodproofing segment of the LSU AgCenter Ready for Rain video, showing tips and techniques for sealing the building so water will not pass through the walls, doors and windows.