Experts share tips on how to prep your home for a potential flood

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- With the potential chance for flooding rains from the effects of Hurricane Ida, experts warn about the importance of being proactive in protecting your homes.

"Basements are flooding now at an all-time high," said Brian Walsh, owner of Over the Top Waterproofing.

He says he's getting a lot of business this year from people who want to waterproof their homes.

"Make sure you have sump pump failure on your homeowner's insurance policy, make sure you have enough to cover the cleanup, the contents, and the rebuild," Walsh said.

Jana Tidwell, a spokesperson for AAA, said, "It's the time ahead of these storms where homeowners should reach out to their homeowner's agent, have a conversation about what their options are."

Tidwell warns there's a 30-day waiting period for flood insurance, which she recommends for most homeowners, not just those who live near large bodies of water.

"When the ground is saturated, and that rain comes down at one to two, maybe three inches per hour, nothing is going to absorb that water fast enough, and it often turns into what looks like a flood situation," she said.

Tidwell adds flooding is happening more frequently in the Delaware Valley, and between last month's 100-year flood in Bucks County and tornadoes a few weeks later, homeowners are concerned.

"I see it all the time, people they never had water their whole life, and they've been getting a lot this year. It just comes out of nowhere," said Tidwell.

Experts also suggest putting extensions on your gutters and sealing the perimeters of your basement.