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Our home is prone to occasional flooding during the rainy season. There was only one time in 26 years where our home was devastated by the flood reaching up to half of the 2nd floor. This destroyed so much of our things such as our car, electronics, furniture, documents, and etc. Other than that, there are a few instances of flooding that reaches only a few inches into the home but it was also rare.

I am considering buying quite an expensive monitor, CPU, and printer but I am thinking that rainy season just arrived and I am afraid they will just get destroyed. The only way I can be reassured I can buy these if I can find some kind of storage solution that if I place my appliances/electronics in them, there is an almost 100% certainty that water will not be able to enter and damage the objects in case it gets submerged (assume the entire thing is submerged for hours to days).

I have looked for flood bags, but all I can see everywhere are either sandbags or sandbag-like fibres that absorb water and create a barrier to prevent water from entering, but these are surely only for mild flooding. If it is on the scale where it will reach the items of value, it will be a massive flood thus a watertight storage solution is the answer.

I have been looking but I cannot seem to find any good solution. I am thinking of something like a garbage bag, but I know garbage bags are not the best choice as they are not watertight despite having several layers of them

Pherdindy
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While this borders on being a "shopping recommendation" question, I think a "dry box" or "dry bag" is what you're looking for.

These are often used by backpackers, rafters, kayakers, etc. to keep their items dry when out in the wilderness. Obviously, you'll need something larger than those folks will use because they usually don't take large items with them. However, once you're on the right track, you should be able to find a supplier that makes bigger ones.

You may also look at a waterproof travel or shipping case. People who take photographic or other expensive gear need sturdy, waterproof cases to protect the gear, so that's another avenue of research for you.

Finally, while I realize that a "century flood" can happen at any time, if you've only had your 2nd floor flood once in 26 years, it seems that moving the most critical items up to the 2nd floor is going to be your best bet when the waters start to rise. If you have an attic, reserve "emergency storage space" up there and you'll be above the areas you've had flooded while you've been in the house.

While it's a major hassle, your home insurance (especially if you have specified flood insurance) should replace any items destroyed in the flood, so unless the items have sentimental value and can't be replaced, I wouldn't go too overboard.

Finally, I'll reiterate my statement from the comment to be sure to have an offsite backup of any critical (or valuable/irreplaceable) computer data (like family photos/videos). This isn't the place to discuss that (hit up Super User.SE for info on that), but hard drives die, even if they haven't been swimming.

FreeMan
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I'v also been looking for ways to secure my electronics in case of a flood. And with the recent floods destroying livelihoods in Spain, I think in this day and age, having a flood proof storage option for your electronics is a must. So much customisation and time spent tinkering gone in a flash (pardon the pun). and usually insurance companies look for receipts as well as trying to find a way not to pay out.

One option I have considered is using a 55 Gallon Plastic lidded drum as you can fit a hell of a lot of stuff in these and the lids come with Lever-Locked. The only downside to one of these barrels is the opening diameter which is 460mm and may be too small for more modern PC towers. 55 Gallon Plastic lidded drum (Source: https://www.bayteccontainers.com/oppldr55gal.html)

One other option I have considered is to use a submersible enclosure / Underwater Enclosure. These bad boys are designed especially for protecting electronic components, and come with a rubber gasket. The think to watch out for with these though is the rating.

For example this Freestand Submersible Cabinet Freestand Submersible Cabinet (source: https://slayson.com/product/freestand-submersible-enclosure-single-door-csmi-series/)

  • Is Submersible up to 15 ft / 5 mtr (IEC 60529)
  • Corrosion Resistant Salt Spray Test (ASTM B117)
  • High Impact & Crush Resistance (IK10)

But the rating is only NEMA 6P / IP68. NEMA 6 and 6P ratings allow objects to be completely submerged in liquids (water or oil). The numerical ending dictates the duration of exposure, with 6 referring to temporary submersion and 6P referring to occasional, prolonged submersion. It is important to consider that both NEMA 6 and 6P are not intended for continuous, long submersion. Lastly, NEMA 4 and 4X indicates a watertight enclosure. The “X” in 4X refers to a heightened level of corrosion resistance.

(Source: https://www.larsonelectronics.com/blog/2017/02/14/led-lighting/overview-ip-ratings-waterproof-protection-submersibles/)

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