City of Collegedale

Property Protection Measures

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Tips for Reducing Damage

The following measures may reduce damage to flood-susceptible properties:

  • Grade your yard for proper drainage.
  • Seal and protect water entry points. Use watertight seals and flood-resistant building materials.
  • Elevate or anchor LP tanks and outbuildings.
  • Install a floor drain plug, standpipe, overhead sewer, or sewer backup valve to prevent backup flooding. Elevate utilities such as heating and air conditioning systems, water heaters, washers / dryers, and other major appliances to higher floors or on raised platforms.
  • Temporarily move furniture, electronics, and other valuables to higher floors; sandbag exterior openings. Mark your fuse or breaker box to quickly identify circuits to floodable areas. Turning off the power to the basement and low areas can reduce damage and save lives.
  • Carry and maintain flood insurance.
  • To avoid repetitive losses, consider elevating or relocating substantially damaged structures. Assistance may be available through the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) program.
Note about mold*:  The awareness of mold in homes has become more prevalent in recent years. Only visible mold is a violation of the IPMC. Neither the city, nor any other governmental agency at any level, currently has any program that regulates or monitors for mold in homes that is not clearly visible. However we would like to provide educational information to assist homeowners and tenants on this issue. The following is a link to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency  "Mold Information" should be helpful in addressing mold issues. This guide provides information and guidance for homeowners and tenants on how to clean up residential mold and how to prevent mold growth.
For more information about flood safety, flood warnings, and online water level monitoring, see the Flood Safety page.

Building Permits

Before making any improvements, contact the Collegedale Economic Development Center at (423) 468-1967 to obtain applicable building permits.