Flooding in Vancouver? Here’s What to Do

Flooding Happens – but It Isn’t Insured. What you need to know about your home and storage lockers.

Many parts of Vancouver have experienced local flooding in the past week – maybe a stream overflows or area fire hydrant bursts. That includes self storage units. As we tell renters “Our motto is if it’s worth storing it is worth insuring” However most contents insurance won’t cover floods. So, how can you protect yourself?

“Flood” is defined as water moving over land. Water from a fire hydrant or burst pipe would be covered, however rain, rising rivers etc would not be.

Flooding in Vancouver

How can you help prevent damage in case of a flood?

Your home or rental insurance may offer flood coverage. Switch to that from storage insurance, but check that home insurance doesn’t have a small-time limit like 90 days.
Get items off the floor by using cheap wood pallets.
Or make the bottom layer plastic tote boxes instead of paper boxes.
Modify water valves. Install an exterior or interior backflow valve.

What can you do if the water starts rising?

Clear gutters and drain valves
Move furniture, rugs and anything else valuable to higher floors
Shut off all electricity at the breaker panel
Elevate major appliances onto blocks to prevent water damage.

Sometimes accidents happen, make sure you have the correct insurance.

North Shore Mini Storage is your number one choice. When flooding happens, store with us.

sweda

Mike Olsen

18:58 16 Oct 19

This is inexpensive storage that operates 100% as advertised - they do not offer 24/7 access and do not charge 24/7 access pricing. They are incredibly responsive to requests to unlock doors and provide access. It is not fancy but if you need a clean, dry place to store your stuff, you can't beat these guys. Don't expect bells and/or whistles but you also won't be paying for them.

Dave Shirlaw

01:54 10 Jun 19

Have to phone to have buildings unlocked. Annoying.

megan chow

23:06 21 May 19

sara ~

01:04 25 Sep 18

Prices are 1/2 the price of other storage units but it shuts down (locked gates) from 10 am - 6 pm except if you have the enormous ground level outside facing units. Those hours are impossible. The technology getting items up to the second story is an actual forklift thats made stationary. You balance your items up the forklift (and you raise the wooden pallet up yourself) Then you must walk up stairs and hope their is a dolly available to wind precariously around tiny turning hallways. Budget carpentry and ancient carpet in the units. The trolleys sound and feel like their from 1980's and are either coached to disobey or they keep their own counsel. They say its secure but I had a neighbor pick something up and they weren't even asked for permission. I explicitly stated only I was to have access. They said they do not let it happen. The locks are your own, but the flip closure is attached by 3/4 wood screws easily and possibly quite quietly could be opened and emptied with no one batting an eye. A kid could detach it with anything. They have "24 hour security" which means a guy lives on site. Does he/she have CCTV access? Probably not, nor would you want that job. Are there motion sensors? Not likely as sometimes the lights won't turn on and finding a switch in the straggly wandering corridors is impossible. They do not offer insurance. You have to sign forms saying all the things you will and won't do, but they are not liable if anything happens: theft, fire, water, vandals, pests etcSo despite all those complaints, its still 4/5 only because of the prices.