Going Places

istock S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 | G O I N G P L A C E S 47 hat to veteran Manitobans, who know they live in flood zones and have dealt with unruly waters. "When they don't take precautions," explains Smiley, "is when there's a flash flood . . . that will catch people off-guard." Indeed, with climate change bringing about a higher frequency of extreme and unexpected weather events the world over, more and more people will find themselves relying on insurance to carry them through the flooding season. e good news is that water damage is included under your basic Autopac plan. But there are other factors to take into account to make sure you're fully covered. "e only [additional] thing people may want to do, if they have a vehicle that's been parked for a long period of time and they've taken the insurance off it, is consider what's called 'lay-up insurance,' " Smiley advises. "at will cover them in the event of fire and flood." Even if you haven't removed the insurance from a seldom-used vehicle, you'll want to keep its coverage top of mind, maintaining an active policy, a copy of which is filed away in a safe place so that every- thing is in order in the event of an emergency. If your vehicle does wind up on low ground at the time of a flood, do not try to retrieve it until the waters have cleared; even then, though your instinct will be to assess the damage, avoid the urge to turn on the ignition if the water level has reached the floorboards. e car may start, but there's a strong possibility of causing further damage. Instead, con- tact your insurer and open a claim. Stick to this advice and you're likely to come out of this flood season safe, dry and financially sound. GP

• Cover