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<br />lowest floor is at or above the <br />'flood protection level. In other <br />words, if your house is substan- <br />tially damaged, you will have no <br />choice but to elevate or relocate <br />your house in order to meet <br />local building codes. <br />Failure to follow the local <br />building code can result in an <br />order to stop reconstruction, a <br />fine, higher flood insurance <br />rates, denial of flood insurance, <br />or all of the above. <br /> <br />RebuildIng TIp. <br />Give your house plenty of time <br />to dry. Many problems result <br />from rebuilding after a flood <br />before everything dries. If it <br />takes a week for the moisture <br />you can see to disappear, allow <br />at least another week for the <br />parts you cannot see to dry. <br />Don't try to force a swollen door <br />to close. Don't force wooden <br />parts to fit. When completely <br />dry, the wood may regain its <br />original shape. <br />There are small, inexpensive <br />measures you can take to make <br />your recovery easier after the <br />next flood. <br /> <br />Utllitres <br />Move the main breaker or fuse <br />box and the utility meters above <br />the flood protection level for <br />your house. Make sure each cir- <br />cuit is labeled so you know <br />which circuit controls which <br />outlet and switch. If the electri- <br />cal code allows, raise the <br />electrical outlets and switches <br />above your flood protection <br />level. <br />If you are going to replace a <br />flooded furnace, water heater, or <br /> <br />air conditioner, install the new <br />one on a higher floor. If your <br />new air conditioner or heat <br />pump will be outside, install it <br />on a platfonn above your flood <br />protection level. A water heater <br />can be put anywhere near a hot <br />water pipe. An updraft furnace <br />located in a basement can be <br />replaced with a downdraft fur- <br />nace on a floor above the flood <br />protection level. <br />Where the flood protection <br />level is not too high, a furnace, <br />water heater, or other heavy <br />appliance can be raised on a <br />platform inside the house. Put <br />the appliance on concrete <br />blocks or a wooden platform <br />supported by concrete blocks. <br />Make certain that appliances <br />such as washers and dryers are <br />secure and will not vibrate off <br />the blocks or platform during <br />use. <br /> <br />I <br />!.--1 <br /> <br /> <br />= <br /> <br /> <br />,~ <br /> <br />You can protect the furnace, <br />water heater, washer, and dryer <br />from shallow flooding with a <br />low floodwall built around the <br />appliance. A concrete or wood- <br />en wall 1 or 2 feet high can stop <br />low-level flooding. The wall <br />should be waterproofed with <br />plastic sheeting or waterproof- <br />ing compounds that can be <br />purchased at hardware stores. <br /> <br />s~ar"p <br /> <br />- _____ n_ ___ ~ <br />Rebuild and Floodproof (, ' <br /> <br />39 <br />