It is a nightmare that most people don’t even want to think about: it is finally moving day and the heavens open up and rain pours down. As bad as moving in the snow can be, rain is often thought of as the worst possible moving weather based on its ability to wreck everything you own. No one has written the definitive book on moving in the rain just yet, but here are a few tips you can take to heart.

Cover everything

No matter what you do, cover everything. This means making sure that boxes and items are covered when they are moved out of your old apartment and into the moving truck or van and then also covered when moved into your new place. If you were planning on using a flat bed to move everything, you will want to make use of a tarp, assuming you already own one.

Consider going professional

No single factor can turn a person on to professional moving quite like raindrops. The trouble is that most professional movers are already booked solid by the end of the month, but you can call around. Professional movers always use a covered truck, not one with an open bed, and they are used to handling heavy boxes and awkward items so you have less of a chance of getting things broken.

Don’t rush

The big mistake that people make when they move in the rain is that they try to do everything at double the speed. This leads to people tripping, getting hurt, dropping boxes and breaking your belongings. Rushing also increases the chances that people will slipping on the wet ground. Be sure everyone has the right footwear on to handle rainy conditions. Moving in the rain is no fun at all, but it doesn’t have to end in a disaster.