Tips to better protect your home from flooding and mudslides

For those living on Southern California's hillsides, flooding and mudslides are a real threat. 

"They happen multiple times a year, you always have to be prepared, you have to be diligent and the lesson that I learned the most is that things change at a moment's notice," said Altadena resident Paul Fedors.  

Fedors is still not back in his house after flames from the Eaton Fire tore through the back of his property, wiping out the vegetation that held his slope together. Then, in February, flooding and mudslides coated his entire street in mud, even trapping an SUV.

"I did everything I could in the short week in half time, get the sandbags put them in place," Fedors said.

He said his street was unrecognizable.

"It looked like a raging mudslide, you can see tree branches coming down and they are moving faster than the vehicles drove down that street," Fedors said.

Andy Tateosian, owner of Floodcide Restoration, said there's one key thing everyone should have on hand.

"Sandbags and I would say at least 100 to 200 sandbags just to have them in place," Tateosian said.

He said to put sandbags in places where water could get in, like windows and doors and if your home is against a hillside, put them there too. 

"You are going to need more sandbags to prevent the soil from coming above and falling down into here," Tateosian said. "You have little loopholes of water coming in from here, you are going to want to layer those up a little bit more." 

He said retaining walls are also a good defense. Another important thing is to check if you have water damage now. 

"If you already have it, it's going to result in mold and then that is the one thing we want to prevent," Tateosian said. "The mold, dry rot and all that other stuff, because that also ruins, just like fire, water damage is as damaging as fire is." 

You can't stop Mother Nature, but being prepared is your best defense and it's something Fedor said he's learned through this experience. 

"I need to make sure that I am using materials, and I am using strategies that set me up not just for rebuilding but for the next disaster," Fedor said.

Some other key tips to consider include clearing your gutters and checking your roof for anything that could cause problems. Residents should also make sure they're signed up for local emergency alerts, keep an emergency kit on hand and have an evacuation plan.