Dry Floodproofing

Dry floodproofing includes a range of design and construction measures that prevent or limit water from entering a building and make it “flood resistant.”

You may live in a community that requires a specific flood construction level for a flood hazard area. This is a form of dry floodproofing that means living and storage areas located above a given flood level (for a specific size of flood). Check with your municipality to learn if a flood construction level was in effect in the building of your home. Over time flood construction levels for new construction may be changed by municipalities in response to new information about flood hazards.

For some homes, temporary measures are possible. Temporary or “active” dry floodproofing measures are most suited to flood hazards that have a longer warning time. Measures include:

• Guards (to fill gaps) that can be quickly installed when flooding is imminent
• Covers that can be fitted over ventilation bricks
• Watertight doors or floodwalls that can be closed or fitted right before a flood
• Creating an emergency sandbag barrier.

Permanent or “passive” dry floodproofing measures do not require action at the time of a flood. For example:

• Elevating windows and doors and sealing cracks
• Sealing floors.

In addition to floodproofing measures for the building, landscaping techniques can help water drain away from the foundation. This should be done in a way that does not simply divert the water to your neighbours’ properties.