- Look it up on Flood Maps apps
The quickest and easiest way to find out if your property is prone to flooding is to check a flood risk map. In the Philippines, we have flood risk maps made by different agencies. The UP Project Noah app is one of the most reliable apps to show flood prone areas although it is not the most stable. Check them out at http://noah.up.edu.ph/
- Ask your neighbors
The community can help you determine the site’s history. When you transfer to a location or decide to construct a house or a building in a location, one of the best ways to determine if it is a flood zone is to ask the community or your future neighbors. Filipino culture usually overshares, but you can use this to your advantage by asking if there have been instances of floods and other disasters in the area in the past. Try the elderly, or the neighborhood sari-sari store.
- Check the history of your site
History, although others may find this boring, is very important. It tells us what has been there before. For example, if your site was once a river or a creek, chances are it is going to become one someday. So, don’t risk building on them if you want to be able to sleep at night while a typhoon is happening.
As a rule of thumb, the closer you are to a body of water, and the lower your elevation relative to sea level, the more likely your home is to be flood-prone. Although there are areas in high-density urban areas with terrible drainage that break the elevation rule.
If you find out that your site or area is flood prone, do something about it. Don’t just let it pass. Either change the design of your house or building by putting flood controls such as rainwater catchment or a cistern if you are in a subdivision and also be sure to check all canals to make it flood proof. But if you are in a hazardous zone or a wetland, relocate to a better site.