Purchasing land is one of the most important investments you can make in your life. As such, you must be ready to protect it. Don’t risk losing it to bad weather!
According to FEMA, flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in the United States and can happen at the most unexpected moments. Even if a storm just brings one inch of water, this could cause up to $25,000 in damages to your land and any structure on it.
While it is impossible to stop rains and storms, at Santa Cruz Properties, we want to offer options to protect your property. Our sales specialist can help you find the perfect land for sale in Edinburg that offers owner financing and can aid you in protecting your investment.
What Can You Do to Protect Your Property from Flooding
- First, determine the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) and flood risk. The BFE is how high the water is expected to rise during flooding. You need to know your BFE since it’s used in floodplain management regulations. These regulate how high you should build any structures on your property.
Knowing is half the battle, after calculating the property’s BFE, you can calculate how much protection your land needs. Keep in mind that environmental changes and new development can change your property’s risk of flooding. - Get flood insurance. Most insurance policies don’t cover flood damage. Make sure you are getting the best protection for your investment by purchasing flood insurance.
- Secure yard items and utilities above your land’s BFE. Elevate or floodproof any mechanical or heavy equipment at least 12 inches above the BFE. Also, secure any furniture or smaller tools that could be swept away or damaged by floodwaters. Not only can you lose valuable tools, but they can be swept into any structures or homes, causing further damage.
- Understand how water will flow on your property. Observe your property. Is there a body of water near you? Are you on a hill? If your land is on a hill, are you at the top or on the slope? Look for where water would build-up, and in which direction it would flow.
Understanding these details, you’ll be able to better prevent damage to your property. - Add extra drainage. Adding extra drainage around your property will help keep water away and help you avoid excessive damage. You can build swales that will help redirect water away from your land and which can help irrigate your garden or crops. Not only is extra drainage effective and functional, but it can also be inexpensive in comparison to property damage.
- Keep some vegetation on your land. Even if you aren’t planning to have a house on your land, make sure to have some pasture around. Whatever your plan is, having trees and grass help protect your land from erosion, while also helping to drain floodwater. Plant roots allow your land’s soil to stay a little loose and absorb water and nutrients.
- Have sandbags at hand. Sandbags are the most common flood defense you can find. Though they aren’t 100% effective, they can buy time in protecting your home. Make sure to keep a few bags ready to go in the shed or the back of your truck in case of flash floods.
- Direct water away from structures. Whether you are building a home, a business, or planting crops, make sure to raise your land’s level and create an outward slope on the soil. This will allow the water to flow away from any structure or equipment. Elevating your land can be a serious investment, but it will pay for itself in damages avoided.
- Research and improve your soil. The goal is to have soil that is capable of absorbing large quantities of water naturally. If your soil is easily compacted, it will repel water and allow it to flood your property.
- Dredging rivers and cleaning drains. Rivers and drains are great flood preventatives. However, the river needs to be constantly dredged to allow for more water to flow and not overflow, and drains can become easily clogged with debris if not cleaned. The process usually involves an excavator and is commonly performed by the city government.
Let Us Help You Find the Right Edinburg Property for Your Needs
If you’re thinking about buying land in Edinburg, we have the knowledge to help you find the right piece of land for your project! At Santa Cruz Properties, we want to help you make an investment you won’t regret. Our real estate specialists in Edinburg will make their experience available to you.
